Man Found Guilty of Killing Shopkeeper

A 21-year-old gang member was convicted of killing a grocery store owner as she tried to stop him from stealing a 12-pack of beer.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Shelley Samuels said jurors on Friday found Aaron Reynoso guilty of first-degree murder, for which he faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Jyotsna Prajapati, 29, was killed in 1995 in the Top Produce Market in Van Nuys as her 2-year-old daughter slept behind the counter.

Reynoso’s defense was his mother’s alibi: She said he was having dinner with his family after visiting his father’s grave at the time of the killing.

But two witnesses testified seeing Reynoso in the market before the killing, and one testified seeing him run away afterward. Two others told the court that Reynoso had bragged to them about having committed the killing.