Earlier this year, Christina Lopez received close to a $5 million settlement after the police fatally shot her son four years ago. Now, she has been arrested for allegedly buying weapons for his other son and the California gang he was a part of.
Lopez, 42, was one of 14 people arrested in a months-long investigation into a gang whose members were allegedly involved in a murder that took place in July, according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
Lopez Won a $4.9M Settlement in April After Police Fatally Shot Her Son
Lopez won a $4.9 million settlement from the city in April over the death of her 16-year-old son, Isiah Murrieta-Golding, who was captured on camera being shot and killed by Fresno police officers as he ran away from officers attempting to arrest him in 2017. The settlement was one of the largest in the city's history.
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said that Lopez used funds from the settlement to purchase weapons for her 14-year old son to distribute to his gang.
Christina Lopez's son was reportedly wrapped up in the gang's activity involving the July murder. Authorities say he gave the other members of the Calwa gang the firearms his mother bought for him.
"She has continued now to take the money from her settlement that she received from the city of Fresno to buy a home where she lives in addition to spending thousands of dollars on guns that she has in turn given to her 14-year-old son," she said, according to ABC 30. "Clearly, this family has been seasoned in this type of behavior."
Lopez Charged with Gun Trafficking
Lopez faces 22 counts of gun trafficking charges including conspiracy to provide firearms to a minor for the benefit of a street gang, child endangerment and conspiracy to provide a firearm to a gang member, police said. Lopez remains in jail and is expected to make her first court appearance on Tuesday,
Lopez's attorney Ralph Torres claims that she is innocent and that all of the money she received from the settlement can be accounted for, the outlet reported. He told the station that she had moved out of the area to protect her kids from any further gun violence.
"We have to see what they have and what type of concrete, physical evidence that we can look at so that would connect her," he said.
