Sentinel Staff Report–
Citrus Heights police said a 23-year-old man who was involved in a fatal shooting two years ago on Birdcage Lane was arrested Sunday night, following a traffic enforcement stop and subsequent search of his residence.
Police said during a traffic stop suspect Tony Jose Diaz was found to be on active probation for weapons violations. A search of his Sacramento County residence with the help of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office found a modified pistol “capable of fully automatic fire,” as well as two AR-15 rifles, one of which was equipped with a 100-round drum magazine. Diaz was arrested on several felony weapons violation charges and violating his probation, according to police.
Previously, The Sentinel reported that Diaz was involved in a fatal shooting incident in May of 2022 that led to the death of local rap artist Jacob Lopez. Diaz was also critically injured. At the time, Citrus Heights Police said the crime was “not a random act” and that both Lopez and Diaz “likely knew each other,” something that Lopez’s father, Nathan Lopez, disputed in a Nov. 23, 2022, local news report.
Lt. Bill Dunning with the Citrus Heights Police Department confirmed on Monday that Diaz was part of the Lopez homicide investigation, and that at the time, Diaz was a known “documented“ gang member with the Norteno gang. Currently, the department said they are not aware of his gang affiliation status.
A police news release the day after the shooting said “preliminary information revealed that both subjects appeared to be shooting at each other,” but murder charges in Lopez’ death were never filed, Fox40 reported previously. Diaz pled “no contest” to felony possession of a machine gun and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years probation, but a Sacramento District Attorney spokesperson said there was not enough evidence to charge him with homicide, according to the Fox40 news report.
As of Monday, Diaz remains in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail with a court date scheduled for Dec. 11.
