Riverside DA spokesman: Prosecutors will again take Lozada murder case to trial

A spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office said Monday that prosecutors intend to seek a third murder trial against Upland resident Aaron Lozada.

Lozada, 35, is accused of helping to carry out the robbery and murder in 2003 of 18-year-old Ontario woman Jessica de la Torre.

In two separate trials this year, jurors deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Lozada. Because jurors couldn't reach consensus on a verdict, a mistrial was declared.

A mistrial was most recently declared Tuesday after jurors deliberated for more than a week.

Michael Jeandron, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, said Monday that prosecutors knew they would pursue a third trial against Lozada immediately after jurors said they were hung.

"We believe this defendant committed a murder, and we believe we can prove that," Jeandron said.

During Lozada's most recent trial, prosecutors said Lozada and two of his friends conspired to rob De la Torre's home and kill her after the robbery.

Lozada assisted his two friends by dropping them off near De la Torre's home the morning of the Aug. 15, 2003 killing.

Lozada also gave one of the men a ride home after the man ran over De la Torre with a car to kill her in an isolated area near the Jurupa Mountains in Rubidoux.

Lozada's attorney denies his client knew of the plot to rob and kill De la Torre when his two friends enlisted his help.

The other two men named in the alleged plot -- Jesus Penuelas and Sergio Arias -- were both convicted of De la Torre's murder. Penuelas was sentenced to death and Arias was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During a hearing in the case Monday in Riverside Superior Court, the court set a trial date of Feb. 2. A trial readiness conference was set for Jan. 16.