A Queens man convicted of killing a Jamaica pawn shop owner during a 2022 robbery is due back in Queens Supreme Court today, where a judge will decide whether he spends the rest of his life in prison.
On April 15, 2026, a jury found 51-year-old Rodolfo Lopez-Portillo guilty of attacking 60-year-old pawn shop owner Arasb Shoughi during a March 28, 2022 holdup at the Global Pawn Shop in Hollis. Shoughi died three weeks after the assault.
According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, Lopez-Portillo was convicted of two counts of murder in the second degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. He faces 25 years to life in prison at sentencing. Prosecutors said jurors needed roughly a day of deliberations to reach their verdict after a four week trial.
What Prosecutors Say Happened Inside the Shop
Trial testimony showed Lopez-Portillo entering the shop shortly before 1 p.m., selling two wristwatches to Shoughi and then, when the owner turned his back, taking off a glove and striking him in the head with what prosecutors described as a metal pipe. Surveillance footage and witness accounts presented at trial showed the defendant repeatedly hitting Shoughi, then grabbing coins, watches, and a ring before leaving. CBS New York aired a segment ahead of today’s hearing that walked through the evidence.
Authorities said Lopez-Portillo fled to Baltimore after the attack and was arrested about a month later at a Greyhound bus station. Investigators recovered a suitcase at a Baltimore residence that they tied to the pawn shop, and fingerprints taken from the scene matched the defendant, according to the DA’s office. In a statement, District Attorney Melinda Katz called the beating “brutal” and credited Maryland State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service with helping secure the arrest.
Sentencing and Legal Notes
Lopez-Portillo is scheduled to appear before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis, where prosecutors are expected to ask for a sentence in the range they outlined after the verdict. Defense attorneys may present mitigating factors as they argue for less time. After sentencing, the case could move into post-conviction motions or appeals. Trade coverage of the guilty verdict and possible sentence has been detailed by National Jeweler.
Why This Case Matters Locally
The killing has underscored the risks facing small jewelry and pawn businesses, which have seen an increase in industry-targeted thefts in recent years. Industry groups have tracked spikes in jewelry crime, and trade outlets have repeatedly raised alarms about robberies that turn violent. One review of national data from the Jewelers’ Security Alliance was published by JCK.
Sentencing is set for May 11 at the Queens County Supreme Courthouse in Jamaica, where the judge is expected to hear victim-impact statements and legal arguments before imposing sentence. Court filings and local reporting list Lopez-Portillo as being held in custody while he awaits the judge’s decision and any future appellate filings. The Queens District Attorney's Office provides a full rundown of the case and the schedule for today’s proceedings.
