A Denver man was sentenced Friday to 48 years in prison for the murder of a 14-year-old boy in 2022, according to court records.
Denver District Court Judge Karen Brody sentenced Diego Lopez, 19, on Friday to 48 years in prison, with a credit of two years and 293 days for time served, court records show.
Lopez was 16 years old when he shot Josiaz “JoJo” Aragon in the back and then pistol-whipped, beat and stabbed the 14-year-old. Aragon was days away from celebrating his 15th birthday.
Lopez was also ordered to pay $10,000 to Aragon’s family during Friday’s sentencing hearing, according to court records.
Aragon’s body was found at a baseball field near Denver’s Southwest Recreation Center on Aug. 8, 2022.
The two teenagers knew each other from school and had met at the baseball field for a gun sale, police said. Lopez shot Aragon in the back after they made the deal.
Lopez, who was charged as an adult, took a deal and pleaded guilty in April to one count of second-degree murder in Aragon’s death.
That deal dropped multiple charges from his case, including murder, aggravated robbery, tampering with evidence and weapons charges. It also dismissed two violent crime sentence enhancers.
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