GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A man convicted of killing one of two men in a Grand Rapids home more than 18 years ago was sentenced to prison for his role in the slayings.

Ricardo Fabela, 37, stood emotionless before Kent County Circuit Judge George Quist on Monday, Aug. 21, as he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Edgar Lopez.

The case started in February 2005 when Grand Rapids police found Lopez and another man, Dipakkumar Patel, dead inside a residence on Buchanan Avenue SW.

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At that time, police issued arrest warrants for Fabela and codefendant Miguel Vidana, but they both fled the area.

Vidana was eventually arrested in November 2007 in Texas. He told police Fabela was last seen in Zacatecas, Mexico. An arrest warrant for Fabela was granted in Mexico in August 2013. Fabela was arrested in Mexico six years later in April 2019.

Fabela was extradited to the United States in April 2022 to face charges for Lopez’s killing. A jury found Fabela guilty at trial in July of felony murder and felony firearms.

In court on Monday, Ramon Flores described the grief his family has been put through with the loss of his brother, Lopez. Flores then read from a statement on his phone that was prepared by his mother, Maria Elena Esparza.

“With the loss of my son, not only did he kill (Edgar) but he killed me too,” Flores said on his mother’s behalf. " … Where you’re going, you’re going to need God’s help because I will never forgive you.”

Fabela, who maintained his innocence, told the judge, “I have nothing to say your honor,” when given an opportunity to speak.

On top of the felony murder conviction, Fabela was also sentenced to two years in prison for a felony firearms charge.

For his role in the homicides, Vidana was found guilty of second-degree murder and felony firearms. He’s currently serving a 23-year prison sentence for the two charges, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

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