Court Won't Hear Case of Man Convicted of Murdering Pizza Deliveryman in Silver Lake

The California Supreme Court refused today to review the case against a man convicted of murdering a pizza deliveryman who was shot while driving home from work with two of his co-workers in Silver Lake.

Jose Beltran was convicted in September 2012 of second-degree murder for the Aug. 7, 2011, shooting death of Juan David Vasquez Loma.

Beltran also was convicted of two counts of attempted murder involving Loma's co-workers, who were in the car with him but were not struck by the gunfire, along with one count each of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm that was not registered to him

On April 1, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that there was insufficient evidence to support Beltran's conviction on the two attempted murder counts.

The panel also rejected the defense's argument that the trial court improperly sentenced Beltran on the second-degree murder charge for Loma's killing.

Beltran -- who was 18 at the time of the crime -- was sentenced in January 2013 to more than 77 years to life in state prison.

Deputy District Attorney Amy Ashvanian said after the trial that the crime "could be characterized as a road rage" attack.

"The evidence came out at the trial that the defendant was upset and angry that the victim's car had passed him at a stop sign" on a narrow street, the prosecutor said. "The defendant was the first car at the stop sign. The victim's car stopped behind. They waited and waited and waited ... They're trying to get home after a 12-hour shift so they bypass the car."

Less than a mile away, Loma was shot once in the head in the 1400 block of Silver Lake Boulevard. He was taken off life support a week later.