Man Sentenced to 70 Years for December 2012 Shooting

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Jose Lopez (age 37), with a last known address of 49 Daniel Street, Providence, was sentenced yesterday to a total of 70 years to serve for a December 1, 2012 shooting in the Chad Brown section of Providence.

Lopez, who was found guilty in a jury trial on March 7, 2014, presided over by Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, was sentenced to 20 years to serve on each of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, to run consecutive; 20 years to serve on one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence resulting in jury, to run consecutive; 10 years to serve on one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence resulting in no injury, to run consecutive; and 10 years to serve on possession of a firearm without a license, to run concurrent.

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During the course of the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that in the early morning hours of December 1, 2012, Jose Lopez drove to the area of 270 Chad Brown Street, Providence to confront his ex-girlfriend, Maribel Bonet-Perez, who was returning home after a night out with her cousin.

Lopez approached the driver's side of Ms. Perez's car and made her get out of the car by pulling her arm. With Ms. Perez in one hand, the defendant brandished a gun in the other. The passenger in the vehicle, Damaris Torres, was able to exit the vehicle, run to safety and call E-911.

Outside the vehicle, Lopez began arguing with Ms. Perez and pointed the gun at the ground and discharged the gun several times.

It was at this point that Ms. Perez's long-time love interest, Jorge Semiday, came toward the parking lot where Lopez and Ms. Perez were standing. Upon seeing him, Lopez discharged his gun at Mr. Semiday several times, striking him in the leg and causing him to fall to the ground.

Lopez then turned his attention back to Ms. Perez, putting the gun to Ms. Perez's head, neck and stomach and pulling the trigger. He pulled the trigger several times on each body part, but the gun failed to go off.

As the defendant attempted to reload, Ms. Perez took her chance to escape. She got in her car, picked up Mr. Semiday, and drove up the street where they encountered the Providence Police. Shortly thereafter the defendant was picked up a short distance away. The Providence Police observed him to match the description given by Ms. Perez and Ms. Torres. Lopez dropped the firearm as the Providence Police approached and he was apprehended.

"Fueled by jealousy and rage and armed with a loaded gun, this defendant set out to kill a woman who had spurned his advances. If not for the sheer luck that the gun failed to fire, and the bravery and wits of Ms. Perez for escaping in those terrifying moments, the outcome could have been much more tragic," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "This sentence is just for a man who so carelessly and violently attempted to take the lives of two victims."

Providence Police Detective Carlos Sical led the investigation and Special Assistant Attorney General Sara Tindall-Woodman prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.

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