By Carlin Kempt
SACRAMENTO – After feeling watched on an elementary school tennis court, two brothers were allegedly approached by Jesus Lopez, who proceeded to whisper, “Do you want to buy my pistol?” into one victim’s ear.
The alleged victim asked Lopez to repeat his question, to which he responded again with, “Do you want to buy my pistol?” After showing the victims the pistol, the brothers declined and returned to the tennis court where they stood and watched Lopez.
Again, Lopez approached the boys, but this time he told them to buy his gun or he would take their belongings to support his pregnant wife sitting in the car behind him. 
And that’s why on Thursday Lopez was facing a robbery charge here in Sacramento County Superior Court. In the end, enough probable cause was found for him to stand trial Oct. 13.
During the hearing, Sacramento County deputies testified to facts in their police report about the crime scene in late May of 2019.
One deputy noted the wife was “of Hispanic” descent, to which private defense attorney Brandon Jack asked “how race played” into the case.
Another deputy described how she stopped the car Lopez was driving, and had one brother identify Lopez, who he noted had distinctive facial hair.
But defense counsel argued that Lopez is the wrong man because victim said he had a goatee when the incident took place.
“Could he have grown a goatee in the two days between the incident and the arrest?” asked Jack.
But, in the end, Lopez was charged with one count of robbery. After pleading not guilty, his jury trial date was set for Oct. 13.
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