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Testimony began Monday in the trial of a South Valley man who prosecutors say fatally shot 30-year-old Anjel Varela after conspiring with others to rob the victim outside a Northeast sa国际传媒官网网页入口 apartment complex.

Bobby 鈥淟ittles鈥� Lopez, 30, is accused of shooting and killing Varela in his car after a robbery coordinated between Lopez, another woman and Varela鈥檚 passenger went awry.

Lopez has been charged in 2nd Judicial District Court with first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. The trial is scheduled through Friday before Judge Emeterio Rudolfo.

Authorities say that Lopez is a known member of Los Padillas, a South Valley gang with a longstanding history of homicide, drug trafficking and other offenses.

Lopez鈥檚 attorney, Sandra Gallagher, told jurors Monday that three key witnesses, Danielle 鈥淔oolish鈥� Cordova, Brianna 鈥淪horty鈥� Garcia and Delilah Lopez, cut a deal with the state in exchange for reduced charges in Varela鈥檚 killing.

鈥淲hen you make a deal with the state, you have to throw someone into that volcano,鈥� Gallagher said in opening statements.

Garcia agreed to testify against Bobby Lopez when she pleaded guilty to numerous prior felony charges as well as second-degree murder, armed robbery and conspiracy, according to her 2023 plea agreement. Cordova also agreed to testify when she pleaded guilty to armed robbery and conspiracy in 2023, court records show.

Similarly, Delilah Lopez鈥檚 murder charges were dropped after entering a plea agreement in which she agreed to testify. Delilah Lopez is charged with armed robbery and conspiracy.

All three had originally been charged with an open count of murder, robbery and conspiracy, the same charges that Bobby Lopez originally faced.

Assistant District Attorney Christine Jablonsky said in opening statements that Garcia, spiteful over being sold 鈥渂ad heroin鈥� by Varela, orchestrated the armed robbery and enlisted Bobby Lopez. Garcia asked Varela for a ride and messaged Cordova on Facebook about the pair鈥檚 whereabouts as they drove around sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Jablonsky said.

Garcia asked Varela to pull over at the Skyline Apartments on Louisiana and Mountain so she could use drugs, at which point Bobby Lopez, his girlfriend Delilah Lopez and Cordova parked nearby after tailing the pair across sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Jablonsky said. Bobby Lopez posed as a member of Garcia鈥檚 family and asked Varela to sell him drugs, she said.

Once in the car, Bobby Lopez grabbed Varela鈥檚 gun from his lap while Garcia took $80 and a dab kit, used for smoking cannabis, from the car, according to a criminal complaint filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

Bobby Lopez then shot Varela in the back and he and Garcia left him slumped over and bleeding in his vehicle, Jablonsky told jurors.

Varela鈥檚 girlfriend, Clarissa Sanchez, took the stand Monday and tearfully recalled finding his body.

鈥淚 put my hand on his chest, I felt how cold he was and I knew he was dead,鈥� Sanchez said.