Upland man sentenced for 2003 killing of Ontario woman

Pictured (L-R): Jessica de la Torre and Victor Aaron Alburto Lozada.

RIVERSIDE -- An Upland man was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison this afternoon for his murder conviction stemming from the brutal rape, robbery and killing of an 18-year-old Ontario woman in 2003.

Victor Lozada, 36, was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder in September for his role in the killing of Jessica de la Torre.

Lozada is the last of three co-defendants to be convicted and sentenced for De la Torre's killing. He will be eligible for parole in 2018.

Prosecutors said Lozada played a key role in the robbery and murder plot by giving his two co-conspirators car rides in the course of the killing.

Lozada, a Mexico native, testified during his trial that he was unaware his friends were involved in a murder plot when he gave them rides in the course of the crime.

On Aug. 15, 2003, Lozada's alleged co-conspirators -- Jesus Penuelas and Sergio Arias -- robbed De la Torre at her Ontario home, and stabbed her several times to induce her to tell them the PIN number for her ATM card.

Penuelas then raped De la Torre, knocked her unconscious and put her in the trunk of her father's car, which he stole. He later ran her over with the car to kill her on a fire road in the Jurupa Mountains.

Penuelas was sentenced to death for his role in the killing, and Arias was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

The trial that ended in a murder conviction in September was Lozada's third. Mistrials were declared in his two previous trials, with juries both times deadlocking 11-1 in favor of a guilty verdict.