Lopez Jr.

The district court jury handed down the maximum possible sentence after finding that Andres Aguilar Lopez Jr., 33, was guilty of a June 2006 offense that killed transient Larry Pullen.

District Attorney Hardy Wilkerson said testimony showed that Lopez was southbound on Highway 87 in the early morning hours of June 22, 2006, when his Chevrolet pickup struck and killed Pullen, who was crossing the highway on foot.

Pullen was declared dead at the scene, while Lopez was subsequently apprehended at his residence in the 4000 block of Parkway.

“Although his truck was heavily damaged in the accident, Mr. Lopez never stopped,” Wilkerson said. “Instead, he continued south on Highway 87, turned onto Hearn Street, then to his residence on Parkway. He never notified the police and never tried to render aid to Mr. Pullen.”

Wilkerson added that Lopez was intoxicated during the incident, but said alcohol was not the reason for the collision.

Midland attorney Tom Hirsh represented Lopez.

Lopez could have been sentenced to probation or as little as one year in county jail. Instead, the jury maxed out his prison term — a verdict which met with Wilkerson's endorsement.

“We're very satisfied with the jury's decision,” he said. “We felt it was in line with the evidence and the history of the defendant. I would also like to point out that this was the result of excellent investigative work by the Big Spring Police Department and the Howard County Sheriff's Office. They provided me with very solid evidence in this matter.”

Lopez must serve one quarter of his sentence — about 15 months — before becoming eligible for probation.

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it