Teen Shoots Food Vendor Dead After Faking an Order; Killer Sentenced to 25 Years to Life
Demarcus Jaime Vega was 18 when prosecutors say he posed as a customer, flagged down Fresno food vendor Lorenzo Perez and fatally shot the 45-year-old during a robbery.
FRESNO, Calif. — A California man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting a neighborhood food vendor after flagging him down and pretending to place an order.
Demarcus Jaime Vega, 23, received the sentence Thursday from Fresno County Superior Court Judge Ryan Wells, according to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
Vega pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder in the killing of 45-year-old Lorenzo Perez. Prosecutors said Vega also admitted a firearm enhancement for personally and intentionally firing the weapon that caused Perez’s death.
Although Vega is now 23, he was 18 when the killing occurred in March 2021.
Food vendor stopped for what appeared to be an order
Perez was traveling through southeast Fresno with his food cart on March 21, 2021, when Vega flagged him down near South Price and East Alta avenues, authorities said.
The interaction initially appeared routine: A potential customer had stopped a neighborhood vendor to buy food.
Prosecutors said Vega briefly spoke with Perez and pretended that he intended to place an order. Vega then pulled out a firearm and shot Perez during the attempted robbery.
Authorities said Vega searched Perez’s pockets before leaving the area. Emergency personnel transported Perez to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Witnesses and surveillance helped identify the suspect
Investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage collected after the shooting. Police identified Vega as the suspect and arrested him four days later.
The killing shocked southeast Fresno, where Perez was known for serving families from his mobile food cart.
Perez’s son described him as a proud and hardworking man whose family was his greatest source of joy, according to prosecutors. His death left relatives and members of the community waiting more than five years for the criminal case to reach sentencing.
Guilty plea ends five-year murder case
Vega pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in May 2026. His admission to the firearm enhancement established that he personally and intentionally discharged the gun that killed Perez, according to the district attorney’s office.
Judge Wells imposed the 25-years-to-life sentence on July 16.
The sentence means Vega must serve the minimum period required under California law before he may become eligible for parole consideration. It does not guarantee that he will be released after 25 years.
Timeline of the Lorenzo Perez murder case
March 21, 2021: Perez is flagged down and fatally shot while selling food in southeast Fresno.
March 25, 2021: Police announce the arrest of Vega following witness interviews and a review of surveillance footage.
May 2026: Vega pleads guilty to second-degree murder and admits the firearm enhancement.
July 16, 2026: Judge Ryan Wells sentences Vega to 25 years to life in state prison.
A routine act of trust became a deadly trap
Perez’s killing drew particular attention because the attack began with an interaction familiar to street vendors everywhere: someone signaling that they wanted to buy food.
Perez stopped to serve what appeared to be a customer. Prosecutors said that ordinary act of trust was exploited as part of a robbery that cost him his life.
The prison sentence closes the criminal prosecution more than five years after the shooting, but it cannot restore the father and familiar neighborhood vendor lost by Perez’s family and community.
