Man Convicted in Pizza Deliveryman's Killing in Silver Lake Loses Appeal

A state appellate court panel on Tuesday rejected an appeal filed on behalf of 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.

The three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that there was insufficient evidence to support Jose Beltran's conviction on two attempted murder charges involving Juan David Vasquez Loma's co-workers, who were in the car with him but were not struck by the gunfire on Aug. 7, 2011.

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.

Along with the murder charge and the two attempted murder counts, Beltran was convicted of one count each of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm that was not registered to him.

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.

—City News Service