FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A Fresno man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2021 killing of a well-known food vendor during an attempted robbery.
23-year-old Demarcus Jaime Vega was sentenced Thursday by Fresno County Superior Court Judge Ryan Wells after pleading guilty in May to second-degree murder and admitting to personally and intentionally discharging a firearm that caused the victim’s death.
Prosecutors say 45-year-old Lorenzo Perez, was known throughout southeast Fresno for operating a bicycle food cart that served neighborhood families.
Fresno police officers responded around 4:35 p.m. on March 21, 2021, to reports of a shooting near South Price and East Alta avenues.
Officers found Perez suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and immediately began life-saving measures before he was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he later died.
Investigators determined Vega, who was riding a scooter, flagged down Perez as if he wanted to purchase food.
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After briefly speaking with Perez, Vega pulled a handgun from his pocket and shot him in the head before searching his pockets and fleeing the scene.
Authorities said Perez was targeted while working to earn a living serving the Fresno community.
Detectives identified Vega through witness interviews, surveillance video and other investigative leads. He was arrested four days later, on March 25, 2021.
Perez’s killing sparked outrage across Fresno.
City leaders condemned the violence, describing Perez as a hardworking father who was simply trying to provide for his family.
Community members rallied behind the Perez family, and local officials announced a reward for information that ultimately went unclaimed after police solved the case.
During sentencing, Perez’s family submitted victim impact statements describing the lasting pain caused by his death.
In a written statement read to the court, Perez’s eldest son described his father as “a proud, hardworking man. We, his family, were his pride and joy.”
Demarcus Jaime Vega didn’t just end the life of a human that day, he took the rest of our lives with him and altered them.
Because Vega was 18-years-old at the time of the shooting, California law allows him to be considered for a Youthful Offender Parole Hearing after serving the minimum portion of his sentence required by law.
Prosecutors noted that such a hearing does not guarantee release but allows the Board of Parole Hearings to determine whether an inmate has demonstrated rehabilitation and is suitable for parole.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office thanked the Fresno Police Department for its investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Liz Owen of the Homicide Unit.