Fugitive Wanted for Revenge Killing

Father and son shot, dragged to truck, and abducted the victim.

December 23, 2009

OREGON CRIME NEWS -- Fugitive Petronilo Lopez-Lopez is most wanted for kidnapping and murder in Oregon by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Lopez-Lopez and his son are alleged to have together committed a revenge killing. Lopez-Lopez's son has already been tried and convicted for his involvement in the crime, while Lopez-Lopez is believed to have escaped to Mexico.

Fugitive killer Petronilo Lopez-Lopez

According to testimony during the week-long trial of Petronilo Lopez-Minjarez, the son of Petronilo Lopez-Lopez, the murder committed by the two men was motivated by an alleged love affair between Petronilo Lopez-Lopez's wife and victim's father.

It is believed that on the night of November 20, 2004, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez accompanied by his son Lopez Minjarez drove to the Lopez-Jovel home in Aloha, Oregon, to confront the victim's father about the affair. Upon their arrival at approximately 9:00 p.m., they found Darvin Lopez-Jovel at the home alone. After questioning Lopez-Jovel of the whereabouts of his father, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez then shot the 18-year-old man pictured below.

Evidence and testimony lead to the consensus that the two men then abducted Darvin Lopez-Jovel still alive, eventually, dumping Lopez-Jovel, either dead or dying, in a remote area of forest. A blood trial found at the crime scene showed that after being shot, Lopez-Jovel was moved outside the home to Lopez Minjarez's truck. Also, a witness testified that he saw two men force Lopez-Jovel into a truck.

Petronilo Lopez-Lopez's son claimed that he never entered the Lopez-Jovel home and hid in the restroom of a nearby McDonald's restaurant while his father committed the crime. However, Washington Sheriff's deputies investigating a 911 report of the abduction, traced the license plate of the suspects' vehicle to Lopez-Minjarez. Then while questioning Lopez-Minjarez, deputies found the man to be intoxicated, hostile, and uncooperative, therefore, prompting suspicion. Upon further investigation, the victim's blood was found on Lopez-Minjarez's clothing and throughout his truck.

Notwithstanding, the substantial amount of evidence is enough to charge both Petronilo Lopez-Lopez and his son with abduction and homicide, Washington County Sheriff's Office still had no corpse. For almost year Darvin Lopez-Jovel remained missing, until hunters discovered his skeletal remains scattered in a remote clearing off a logging road near Banks, Oregon.

The homicide committed by Petronilo Lopez-Lopez and his son is what is referred to as a revenge killing. Motivated by his wife's infidelity, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez leads a plot to destroy what he perceives to be his enemy, Darvin Lopez-Jovel's father. However, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez plans to murder his intended victim is foiled by opportunity. The father is not home, therefore, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez modifies his bloodthirsty scheme to focus on Darvin Lopez-Jovel as his victim. Typically, revenge murders are committed by inexperienced killers. Petronilo Lopez-Lopez's crime was poorly organized, witnesses were present and evidence was left behind, so demonstrating his inexperience at committing murder.

Petronilo Lopez-Lopez is described as:

• Birth Date: March 5, 1945
• Height: 70 inches
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Black, Gray, or Graying
• Sex: Male
• Race: Hispanic

Anyone with information of the location of this fugitive killer, Petronilo Lopez-Lopez, is asked to contact the Detectives Division of the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 503-846-2500, in Hillsboro, Oregon.