LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – A 24-year-old man from Los Angeles is facing the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of a local community organizer late last month downtown, authorities announced Wednesday.
The deadly encounter unfolded on Jan. 26 just after 12:30 a.m. when the victim, 28-year-old Amanda Torres, attempted to intervene and protect her brother after he was reportedly attacked by a group of men at a party in the 1100 block of South Los Angeles Street, a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office stated.
The victim had recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a community organizer, the DA’s office added.
Torres was reportedly known to friends in the L.A. rave scene as “Dandy Mandi,” according to EDM Identity, a website dedicated to electronic dance music. The outlet also reported that Lopez had been kicked out of the downtown after-party before the fatal stabbing and that he was captured on video outside the event as he approached a small group of people.
When paramedics arrived at the scene, the outlet reported, they found Torres with a stab wound to her neck, not breathing and were unable to resuscitate her.
“This horrific and senseless act of violence took the life of a young woman who dedicated herself to making her community better,” L.A. DA Nathan Hochman said. “Amanda Torres was a bright, compassionate leader with limitless potential, and our hearts break for her family, friends and everyone whose lives she touched.”
The suspect in the stabbing, James Joshua Lopez, has been charged with one count of murder with an allegation that he used a deadly weapon, a knife, during the incident.
The 24-year-old, who is being held on more than $2 million bail, is scheduled to appear in court on March 3.
