ARCADIA, Fla. — A DeSoto County judge sentenced Ryan Watson Jr. to life in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Daniel Rodriguez Lopez. He will serve at least 25 years for second-degree murder, and his case will be up for review after that's served because he was a juvenile when the crime was committed.
Watson, 15 at the time of the murder, shot and killed Lopez at the DeSoto County Fair in February 2023. He was convicted of the killing and a gun charge in December 2024.
According to the police report, Lopez's mom told detectives he had been having issues with people at school prior to the shooting. One of those people was Watson. The report says Watson was part of a gang, according to several tips.
WATCH THE EMOTIONAL MOMENTS INSIDE THE COURTROOM:
A fight broke out at the fair in front of hundreds of people, before Watson shot Lopez in the chest, killing him.
Watson was charged with second-degree murder and carrying a concealed weapon.
After Watson was taken away, his family stood up in tears and his mother said to Lopez's family, "I'm so sorry."
Before Watson found out his fate, Lopez's family spoke about the impact his actions had on them.
"And all I can say is that I hope his parents make sure they hug him one more time and tell him how much they really care about him, because I didn’t get that chance to tell mine," said Lopez's mother.
Watson sat with no emotion on his face as family members made victim impact statements. Some had harsh words for the convicted killer.
"A coward, a plankton, a roach, a worm, a molt, etc. with no remorse, sympathy for what you have done," Lopez's uncle said.
"Hurt people won’t understand what kind of people person does that – shoot someone. Jumps them, shoot them. I’ll tell you what kind of people: a coward," Lopez's step-dad said.
Others had to hold back tears, like Lopez's sister, who was hard to understand in the courtroom.
"Throughout time and throughout everything that happened, all we want for Daniel Rodriguez is justice," his cousin said.
The prosecutor asked for life in prison, while the defense asked the minimum mandatory of 25 years to be served at the same time as Watson's gun charge.
The judge said Watson could've killed someone else that night if Lopez hadn't been hit and said he believes Watson intended to kill someone.
He went on to tell Watson he caused havoc on the small-knit community and called the crime "egregious" and "an extreme public safety threat."
For the gun charge, he was sentenced to 20.8 years in prison. However, this sentence will also be up for review in 15 years. The sentences will run consecutively, meaning one at a time.
