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Convicted murderer violates probation again
Justice mallet and criminal complaint blank document with police handcuffs close up
Benito Lopez, 34, of Sandoval County, was convicted of second-degree murder and other crimes in 2007.
Lopez was initially sentenced to a suspended sentence of 15 years, though he could have received as much as 42 years in prison. Instead, Lopez was released on probation.
Since then, he has violated probation several times. The latest violation was in early January after he was “kicked out” of a rehab program. Part of his court-ordered requirements is to go through rehab programs for several years. The court heard that Lopez was transferred to a new rehab location on Jan. 29.
On March 11, a judge heard about the probation violation and the rehabs. The hearing was to request an order reinstating probation for Lopez, which was approved by the judge. Essentially, Lopez’s probation will start over.
Second-degree murder is charged when an individual intends to inflict harm, not death, but ends up killing someone.
