Tijuana man convicted of killing San Diego teen

A jury has convicted a Tijuana man, Brian Alexis Patron Lopez, for the killing of 19-year-old Miguel Anthony Rendon. This incident occurred nearly five years ago when Rendon was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered after stealing drugs he was supposed to smuggle into the U.S. Prosecutors stated that Patron shot Rendon five times in the head and left his body in a ravine. During the trial, it was revealed that Patron took control of Rendon's kidnapping. The murder was reportedly recorded, and Patron later showed the video to others. The jury found him guilty of intentional killing connected to drug trafficking and other serious charges after six days of testimony and five hours of deliberation. Four other men had previously admitted guilt for their roles in the crime and are waiting for sentencing. One of them, Alan Lomeli-Luna, confessed to being a lookout during the murder and admitted the group intentionally killed Rendon. Rendon had been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.S. and planned to steal a larger amount the day after his release. When he failed to deliver, his kidnappers threatened him. They eventually found him at a motel and began the kidnapping process, demanding ransom from his family for his release. After the family began gathering money, communication was cut off. On the day of the murder, Patron was given a gun and shot Rendon in a ravine. Prosecutors noted that multiple witnesses had seen video of the killing, but they had not retrieved it. Patron's attorney requested to remove the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI from the case due to a potential conflict of interest but was denied. Patron will be sentenced in July and faces a possible life sentence or even death.