Paterson man gets 5 years for role in confrontation that ended in man's death
A Paterson man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for taking part in a street fight three years ago in which his girlfriend’s stepfather was shot dead.
“I am not going to stand here and make excuses for my actions,” Kendry Lopez said at his sentencing in Superior Court in Paterson. “I take responsibility for my actions.”
Lopez, 26, pleaded guilty earlier to a charge of reckless manslaughter, admitting that he played a role in the death of 52-year-old Raphael Robles on July 11, 2013, Authorities said Lopez got into a dispute with his girlfriend, and Robles – her stepfather – began arguing with Lopez.
Related: Paterson man could get five years in prison for role in confrontation that ended in man's death
They said that Lopez then left the home, recruited two men to help him confront Robles, and went back to a residence on 16th Avenue where Robles was staying.
Robles came out with a gun and exchanged fire with one of Lopez’s accomplices, Larry Deprospo, who fatally shot Robles in the chest, they said.
Defense attorney Miles Feinstein said at the sentencing on Wednesday that Lopez, while accepting responsibility for causing the altercation, was not the shooter. Feinstein asked for leniency for his client, stressing that Lopez had no plans to harm or kill Robles.
Jason Statuto, a Passaic County senior assistant prosecutor, said that the five-year prison sentence under Lopez’s plea agreement had already taken into account that the killing of Robles was not premeditated, and that Lopez was not the shooter.
“Just because this was not premeditated does not mean that you cannot anticipate what could have happened,” he said.
Lopez got into a fight with his girlfriend, left the house and returned with two men to confront Robles, Statuto said.
“It’s not too hard to anticipate what could happen,” he said.
Judge Joseph Portelli agreed, sentencing Lopez to the maximum term under his plea agreement. Lopez must serve more than four years before he is eligible for parole.
Deprospo also pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter and was sentenced last week to six years in prison. The other accomplice, Jerrod Archer, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and was sentenced last week to three years’ probation.
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