Inmate Dies While Awaiting Trial For 2013 Murder Of SJSU Student

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — A 28-year-old inmate pronounced dead last week after being treated for a "preexisting health condition" has been identified by the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office as 28-year-old murder suspect Johnny Lozano. Santa Clara County sheriff's officials said Lozano died at 7:29 p.m. on May 8 after being admitted on April 5.

Lozano was arrested Aug. 7, 2013, for the alleged fatal shooting of a San Jose State University student hit by a stray bullet while riding in a car downtown just days beforehand, San Jose police said at that time.

Kimberly Joyce Chico, 19, was a passenger in the car at about 1:20 a.m. on Aug. 3 when she was struck by gunfire in the area of South Second and East San Salvador streets and died soon afterward at a hospital, according to police.

Lozano was one of several individuals officers stopped and interviewed the evening he was taken into custody, police said.

He turned out to be a felon possessing a loaded gun, which is what officers arrested him on suspicion of before gaining information linking him to the alleged murder of Chico.

Lozano and two other suspects in the case, San Jose residents Caris Warren, 27, and Jessie Grant, 28, were in court for the case as recently as the end of March, according to a Santa Clara County criminal court calendar.

Sheriff's officials said Lozano was in custody at the Santa Clara County Main Jail until he was admitted into the hospital.

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By Bay City News Service

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