A man was convicted in 1991 stabbing death. His parole has now been denied five times
A Denair man convicted of stabbing another person to death in 1991 was denied parole for the fifth time earlier this month, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
On June 26, 1991, Andrew Rick Lopez stabbed a man he had been arguing with 13 times in the back, stomach and chest, the DA’s Office said. He then bragged about the stabbing to a witness.
Lopez recently had been released from prison and was already wanted for violating his parole, the DA’s Office said.
A jury convicted Lopez of second-degree murder on Dec. 13, 1991, with an enhancement for using a knife and having a prior prison commitment. He was sentenced to 17 years to life in prison.
Lopez has had four other unsuccessful parole hearings dating back to 2002, according to the DA’s Office.
The board denied Lopez parole this time because he has not taken accountability for the 1991 murder, has accumulated multiple prison rule violations and is known to be a gang member, the DA’s Office said.
A 2019 prison psychological assessment also found Lopez would be a high risk to society if let out from prison.
Lopez is scheduled to have another parole hearing in three years, the DA’s Office said.
This story was originally published April 10, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
