Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54: Also from Stockton, Lopez is believed to be the latest victim of the possible serial killer. Widely circulated photos show Lopez clad in a white T-shirt and a straw hat, kneeling and flashing a peace sign over Frank Sinatra’s Hollywood star.
“He was very loving,” Lopez’s ex-wife, Betty Gauna, said, choking back sobs on Wednesday. She recalled how the two had met as teenagers at a quinceañera celebration in Lodi. She was 17 and Lopez was 18 when they married.
“That was my first love,” Gauna said. “He would cook for me. He washed my car before I went to work.” The couple stayed together for 10 years and had two sons before they divorced.
Over the years they still kept in touch, Gauna said, remembering how Lopez affectionately called her “babe” when they spoke on the phone, even years after splitting up.
In addition to his sons, Lopez left behind three grandchildren when he was slain on Sept. 27.
Chronicle staff writers Kevin Fagan and Sarah Ravani contributed to this report.
