A 21-year-old Tucson man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for his involvement in a robbery that resulted in the death of his friend.
Last month, a Pima County jury convicted Carlos Yanez Peyron of felony first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted robbery and kidnapping.
On Friday, Pima County Superior Court Judge Edgar Acuña sentenced Peyron to life in prison with release possible after 25 years in the murder of Noah Lopez, 18, and ran his other six sentences concurrently with the life sentence.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Mark Diebolt presented evidence that Peyron and three others tried to rob Anthony Mendoza and Charles Montes at M&M Customs, a car alarm installation business at 3040 N. Stone Ave.
Montes testified they were forced at gunpoint toward their office and as they got to the door, he pushed Mendoza inside, knowing Mendoza had a shotgun there. Mendoza was able to slam the door shut.
People are also reading…
After a heated exchange, Mendoza opened the door and fired one round from the shotgun.
One of the men, later identified as Lopez fled out the back door, and Montes said he grabbed his 9 mm handgun from a toolbox and chased him.
Lopez turned around and fired two shots at him, missing him both times, Montes said. He fired twice at Lopez and Lopez kept running.
Lopez was found dead of a gunshot wound to the torso 150 feet from the business.
Mendoza kept the other men face down on the ground until police arrived.
Peyron was charged with first-degree murder under a law that makes someone culpable for murder if another dies during the commission of certain felonies, even if he did not kill the person.
Anthony Peyron, the 20-year-old brother of Yanez Peyron, and Toney Stith, 27, will be tried separately on the same charges later.
Contact reporter Kim Smith at 573-4241 or kimsmith@azstarnet.com
