A Fresno man was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2021 killing of a neighborhood food vendor during an attempted robbery, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Demarcus Jaime Vega, 23, was sentenced by Fresno County Superior Court Judge Ryan Wells after pleading guilty in May to second-degree murder and admitting a firearm enhancement for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death.

The victim, Lorenzo Perez, 45, of Fresno, was shot March 21, 2021, after police responded about 4:35 p.m. to reports of a shooting near Price and Alta avenues.

Officers found Perez suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he later died.

According to prosecutors, Perez was a well-known neighborhood food vendor who operated a bicycle food cart serving families across southeast Fresno.

Investigators determined Vega, who was riding a scooter, flagged down Perez, briefly spoke with him while pretending to place an order, then pulled a handgun from his pocket and shot Perez in the head. Prosecutors said Vega searched Perez’s pockets before fleeing the scene.

Witness interviews, surveillance video and follow-up investigation led Fresno police detectives to identify Vega as the suspect. He was arrested March 25, 2021.

Prosecutors said the investigation determined Perez was targeted during an attempted robbery while working.

Perez’s family submitted victim impact statements before sentencing. In a written statement, Perez’s eldest son described his father as “a proud, hardworking man” and said, “Demarcus Jaime Vega didn’t just end the life of a human that day, he took the rest of our lives with him and altered them.”

Because Vega was 18 at the time of the offense, California law makes him eligible for a youthful offender parole hearing after serving the minimum statutory portion of his sentence. Prosecutors said such a hearing does not guarantee release but allows the Board of Parole Hearings to determine whether an individual has demonstrated maturity, rehabilitation, and suitability for parole.

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