PHOENIX - Prosecutors in Maricopa County say a man has been sentenced for his role in a dispute that ended with a person's death in Phoenix.
What we know:
According to a statement released on Aug. 25, 26-year-old Antonio Rios was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the death of Jose Juan Lopez.
"Rios pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder, a Class One Dangerous Felony," read a portion of the statement from MCAO.
The backstory:
Prosecutors said the deadly incident happened in June 2022 at the parking lot of a bar near 51st Avenue and McDowell Road.
"As the bar was closing, Rios tried to convince a woman to leave with him," read a portion of MCAO's statement. "Lopez, who was a friend of the woman, intervened and told Rios to leave her alone. Rios then retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired toward Lopez and the woman."
Lopez, according to investigators, ran from the parking lot and fired back as he fled.
"Lopez suffered a gunshot wound to the leg as he fled and limped into another area of the parking lot, where Rios pursued him in his vehicle," prosecutors wrote. "From the driver's seat, Rios shot Lopez, and then fired again after Lopez fell to the ground."
Prosecutors said Lopez died several days after he was taken to the hospital.
Dig deeper:
As for Rios, MCAO said he fled to Mexico following the shooting, where he stayed for over three years.
"In September 2025, he was extradited from Nogales, Mexico, to Arizona to face charges," prosecutors wrote.
According to court documents, Rios' sentence began on Aug. 21.
Area where the deadly shooting happened
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.