HAYWARD — A man charged with murdering his friend was initially believed to be a key witness, but when his story broke down and he began to act increasingly nervous during his police interview, things took a drastic turn, authorities said.
Now, 43-year-old Larry Lopez, of Hayward, is in jail without bail, charged with murder in the shooting death of 68-year-old Rolando Silva Sr.
Police started investigating on Feb. 2, when Silva was found dead on a couch inside his home on the 500 block of Ramos Avenue in Hayward. Within 48 hours, Lopez went from a key witness to a leading suspect, court records show.
Lopez told police that Silva had come to him for assistance, and was scared to be home alone, when a day earlier someone had driven slowly by his home and yelled out, “coyote,” which Silva took to be a threat. But when police brought Lopez into an interview room to repeat his story, he changed key details, contradicted what police knew from surveillance footage and became “evidently more nervous” to the point that detectives read him Miranda rights, and finally placed him under arrest, police said in court filings.
Once Lopez was taken into custody, police found evidence on his clothes and body indicating he had recently fired a gun, authorities said. They also talked to Silva’s relative, who told police that Lopez was known to carry a gun in a bag that he was seen bringing with him into Silva’s home just before the shooting.
Surveillance footage from the home shows the two men hugging outside, then walking into Silva’s home together. After the gunfire was heard, someone is heard screaming “what have you done,” according to police.
Silva not only lived at the house but rented the refurbished garage to tenants, according to police. He was also known to keep gold jewelry and several thousand dollars in cash at the home. Those items were missing from the residence, authorities said.
Lopez, whose profession is listed as an auto mechanic, was due in court Friday morning, records show. The outcome of the hearing wasn’t immediately clear.
