Maria Fernanda Guerra Sandoval was a fun, loving 15-year-old girl who was well-liked by her friends and staff at Mifflin High School in Columbus, Ohio. A native of Santa Ana, El Salvador, Maria was survived by her mother, Ana María Guerra Sandoval, and a large extended family who remembered her as a "beautiful princess."
On the evening of April 3, 2023, tragedy struck. Around 5:30 p.m., police were called to the 4700 block of Sullivant Avenue on the city's far west side.
There, they found Maria Fernanda, a Hispanic teen, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The only other person present during the shooting was Maria's 18-year-old boyfriend, Kevin Jesus-Lopez. He initially told investigators that a masked man had tried to rob them and shot Maria. But his story soon changed. He later admitted to police that he had shot her, claiming it was an accident. According to his statement, he was showing Maria a handgun inside a car parked behind a business when the weapon discharged.
Jesus-Lopez was arrested and originally charged with murder. A grand jury, however, later indicted him on charges of involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification and tampering with evidence. He subsequently pleaded guilty to those charges.
In May 2024, Kevin Jesus-Lopez was sentenced by Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott. For his role in Maria's death, he was ordered to serve 12½ to 14½ years in prison, bringing the legal proceedings in the case to a close.
