A Santa Barbara jury has convicted 27-year-old Elvis Alberto Lopez of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of 3-year-old Mila, District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced Wednesday.
Lopez — the boyfriend of Mila’s mother at the time of the killing — was found guilty of murder with the special circumstance of mayhem, as well as assault on a child under 8 causing death and four counts of corporal injury to a child. Jurors heard evidence that in the final months of her life, Lopez repeatedly abused Mila. On February 4, 2023, the violence ended in a fatal assault that severed her spine and ruptured her aorta.
“This was a horrific case involving the senseless death of a young child who deserved love and protection,” Savrnoch said, crediting prosecutors and Santa Barbara detectives for their “tireless work in seeking justice for Mila.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Karapetian, head of prosecution, said, “Mila was a beautiful, loving child, and while nothing can bring her back, this verdict ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his violent actions.”
Sentencing is set for December 4 in Department 2 of Santa Barbara Superior Court. Lopez faces life without the possibility of parole.
