Topline: A Pawtucket man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in the 2023 ambush killing of a 27-year-old Central Falls barber.
Published: August 4, 2026 7:04 am ET
Shawn Fletcher
Committed to the craft of journalism and am driven by my desire to inform and inspire.
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Luis Lopez (via Central Falls Police)
CENTRAL FALLS, RI — A Pawtucket man was sentenced to two life terms plus 20 additional years after a jury found he ambushed and killed a 27-year-old barber outside a Central Falls business in 2023.
According to WPRI and a Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office release, Luis Lopez, 42, was sentenced Friday after a May jury verdict that found him guilty of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death, carrying a pistol without a license, possessing a ghost gun, and two counts of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
Prosecutors said Emmanuel Torres Plaza was shot to death on Sept. 23, 2023, as he left work at True Stylez on Dexter Street. Investigators said they recovered 17 spent 9mm shell casings at the scene, and surveillance video showed the shooter waiting across the street before jumping out from behind a car with a pistol in each hand and opening fire as Torres Plaza ran toward his vehicle.
Authorities said Lopez fled into Massachusetts, where Plainville police responded to reports of a burning car just after 10 p.m. Two high school students told officers they saw a man walking away from the flames with a gas can, and police soon found Lopez nearby. Investigators said they recovered a Glock 17, a Polymer80 ghost gun, a bulletproof vest, black clothing, a ski mask, gloves, multiple license plates, and large-capacity magazines, then later matched the burned vehicle and shell casings to the Central Falls shooting. NBC 10 also reported police believed Lopez accused his girlfriend of having an affair with Torres Plaza.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Pawtucket Man Gets Double Life in Central Falls Barber Killing
A Pawtucket man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in the 2023 ambush killing of a 27-year-old Central Falls barber.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: August 4, 2026 7:04 am ET
Luis Lopez (via Central Falls Police)
CENTRAL FALLS, RI — A Pawtucket man was sentenced to two life terms plus 20 additional years after a jury found he ambushed and killed a 27-year-old barber outside a Central Falls business in 2023.
According to WPRI and a Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office release, Luis Lopez, 42, was sentenced Friday after a May jury verdict that found him guilty of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death, carrying a pistol without a license, possessing a ghost gun, and two counts of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
Prosecutors said Emmanuel Torres Plaza was shot to death on Sept. 23, 2023, as he left work at True Stylez on Dexter Street. Investigators said they recovered 17 spent 9mm shell casings at the scene, and surveillance video showed the shooter waiting across the street before jumping out from behind a car with a pistol in each hand and opening fire as Torres Plaza ran toward his vehicle.
Authorities said Lopez fled into Massachusetts, where Plainville police responded to reports of a burning car just after 10 p.m. Two high school students told officers they saw a man walking away from the flames with a gas can, and police soon found Lopez nearby. Investigators said they recovered a Glock 17, a Polymer80 ghost gun, a bulletproof vest, black clothing, a ski mask, gloves, multiple license plates, and large-capacity magazines, then later matched the burned vehicle and shell casings to the Central Falls shooting. NBC 10 also reported police believed Lopez accused his girlfriend of having an affair with Torres Plaza.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Pawtucket Man Gets Double Life in Central Falls Barber Killing
A Pawtucket man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in the 2023 ambush killing of a 27-year-old Central Falls barber.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: August 4, 2026 7:04 am ET
Luis Lopez (via Central Falls Police)
CENTRAL FALLS, RI — A Pawtucket man was sentenced to two life terms plus 20 additional years after a jury found he ambushed and killed a 27-year-old barber outside a Central Falls business in 2023.
According to WPRI and a Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office release, Luis Lopez, 42, was sentenced Friday after a May jury verdict that found him guilty of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death, carrying a pistol without a license, possessing a ghost gun, and two counts of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
Prosecutors said Emmanuel Torres Plaza was shot to death on Sept. 23, 2023, as he left work at True Stylez on Dexter Street. Investigators said they recovered 17 spent 9mm shell casings at the scene, and surveillance video showed the shooter waiting across the street before jumping out from behind a car with a pistol in each hand and opening fire as Torres Plaza ran toward his vehicle.
Authorities said Lopez fled into Massachusetts, where Plainville police responded to reports of a burning car just after 10 p.m. Two high school students told officers they saw a man walking away from the flames with a gas can, and police soon found Lopez nearby. Investigators said they recovered a Glock 17, a Polymer80 ghost gun, a bulletproof vest, black clothing, a ski mask, gloves, multiple license plates, and large-capacity magazines, then later matched the burned vehicle and shell casings to the Central Falls shooting. NBC 10 also reported police believed Lopez accused his girlfriend of having an affair with Torres Plaza.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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