Trial begins for man accused of double murder outside a bar

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - "Shot in the back!" That's what Yuma Deputy County Attorney Joshua Tesoriero shouted to the jury as opening statements were made in the double homicide trial of a Yuma man who shot and killed two men outside the Alement bar in January of last year.

48-year-old Guadalupe Pelayo is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of 41-year-old Francisco Lopez and 35-year-old Luis Navarrete.

The murders took place outside the Alement Bar in Downtown Yuma in the early morning hours of January 30, 2023.

Pelayo passed a mental health evaluation back in August of 2023, ensuring he was competent to stand trial.

Jury selection took place earlier this week and the trial is expected to last four weeks.