Man Found Guilty Of Murder In Fatal Shooting In Hartford

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man was recently found guilty by a Superior Court jury of murder in connection with a fatal shooting in 2021 in the city, according to officials.

Daniel Lopez, 33, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 31 after being found guilty Nov. 22 in Hartford Superior Court.

According to evidence presented at the trial, on April 14, 2021, Hartford police were dispatched to Babcock Street in Hartford on a report of a shooting.

Police found Heriberto Garcia, 31, of Hartford, suffering from a single gunshot wound to the upper chest.

“A witness spoke to police and identified Lopez as the shooter,” according to a news release from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. “The witness stated that they looked inside a car and saw the victim sitting in the front passenger seat and Lopez in the rear seat directly behind the victim. The witness reported that as Lopez was holding the victim in a headlock from behind, they heard a single gunshot and saw the flash of a gun. The victim fell forward in the car and the witness immediately began to try to render aid. Lopez exited the car, threatened to shoot the witness and eventually fled the scene. The witness called 911 to report the incident. The victim was transported by ambulance to Hartford Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

In addition to the jury verdict, Superior Court Judge Kevin C. Doyle found Lopez guilty of two counts of criminal possession of a firearm/ammunition.