Gang member sentenced in killing of Echo Park boy, 4
A parolee and documented gang member was sentenced Thursday to 93 years to life in state prison for the 2009 slaying of a 4-year-old boy in Echo Park. Howard Astorga, 26, was convicted in February of the killing of Roberto Lopez Jr, who was hit by a stray bullet as he walked with his sister and cousins to a park in the 1200 block of Court Street, prosecutors said.
Astorga had intended to shoot a rival gang member, police said.
The crime sparked community outrage. More than 500 people attended Roberto’s funeral, where Cardinal Roger M. Mahony conducted a Mass in Spanish.
– Robert J. Lopez
Photo: A photo of Roberto Lopez Jr. that was part of a memorial erected at the site where he was killed. Credit: Lopez family
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