Felon who shot Cathedral City security guard sentenced

A convicted felon who shot an unarmed Cathedral City security guard multiple times pleaded guilty Wednesday to assault with a firearm and was immediately sentenced to 17 years in state prison.

Ezequiel Radino Lopez, 31, of Palm Springs admitted the felony charge, as well as enhancements tied to his prior convictions, under a plea deal with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped charges of attempted murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a gun. Superior Court Judge Charles Stafford certified the terms of the agreement and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.

Lopez shot Paul Chapman on the night of July 14, 2012, outside Companions Escort Co. at 32220 Rancho Vista Drive, in the Rancho Vista Plaza.

According to investigators, Chapman initially spotted the defendant drinking beer in a stairwell leading into the building and advised him “Don’t start any trouble,” then went inside to check on something. Moments later, Chapman returned to the stairwell and asked Lopez to leave the premises.

When Lopez didn’t budge, the security guard approached him, at which point Lopez tossed his beer bottle into the garbage can and mumbled, “This is going to get interesting,” according to testimony from the defendant’s 2014 preliminary hearing.

Lopez pulled a handgun and leveled it at Chapman, who had no weapons. The victim and Lopez struggled until the defendant spun away and shot Chapman in the abdomen, according to investigators. Chapman wrestled the convicted felon to the ground, but was unable to keep him pinned, and Lopez got back to his feet and shot the victim three more times before jumping a wall and fleeing the location on foot, investigators said.

Chapman testified in 2014 that two bullets were removed from his torso and one from his stomach, but a fourth bullet remains lodged in his upper body.

Lopez was apprehended a year later following an extensive investigation.

According to court records, Lopez has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and being a convicted felon in possession of a concealed weapon. He had been paroled about six months before the attack on Chapman.