A San Antonio man has been ordered to spend the next three decades in prison after a deadly family dispute turned into a predawn shooting on the West Side. On March 11, 2026, a jury found Brayan Armando Lopez-Esparza guilty in the November 2024 shooting death of his father, 45-year-old Jorge Lopez, and he was sentenced to 30 years behind bars. Prosecutors say a neighborhood confrontation spiraled into gunfire that killed Lopez and wounded others.
The violence broke out shortly before 6 a.m. on Nov. 17, 2024, near the intersection of Rasa Drive and Tarasco Drive. Investigators say tensions flared when the mother of Lopez-Esparza’s child and her boyfriend argued outside a grandmother’s home. According to authorities, Lopez-Esparza fired roughly 16 rounds, and one of the early shots struck the boyfriend’s father in the foot, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
DA's Account And Arrest
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Lopez-Esparza returned to the scene after relatives were called, exchanged words with the boyfriend and then opened fire toward the vehicle and the surrounding group. The release also notes that San Antonio police found Lopez-Esparza during a traffic stop two days after the shooting and arrested him on a murder warrant, according to KSAT.
Sentence And Charges
Lopez-Esparza was convicted of murder and received a 30-year prison sentence. At the time of his November arrest, he faced charges that included murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct with a firearm, and his bail had been set at $375,000, according to court records and reporting from the San Antonio Express-News.
The judge imposed the sentence on March 11, 2026, and court records will reflect any post-trial filings or appeals.
