A grandmother, a father-in-law and juror react to Lopez mistrial

The tragic death of baby Jayla has many talking.

Lopez was on trial for the death of 11-moth-old Jayla, a foster child in his care.

On Thursday the Judge declared a mistrial when jurors couldn’t decide on Lopez’s fate.

Some who support Lopez say he’s innocent. Some on the jury say he’s guilty. All the while a grandmother’s heart remains broken.

“They are asking my son well ‘why didn’t you testify?’ He can’t testify, he’s been in jail four years. Look at his eyes, my son isn’t there anymore,” Juan Holguin said.

Holguin is Antonio Lopez’s father-in-law, who has also fostered children. He tells ABC-7 in a exclusive interview he believes his son-in-law is innocent and had nothing to do with the death of baby Jayla.

Holguin believes is was harsh interrogation tactics that made Lopez confess.

“The hammering that they did to my son-in-law… I mean you can’t tell a man like Antonio Lopez to confess or we’re going to put your daughter in jail. You can’t do that to that man, they threatened him saying if it wasn’t him is was her,” said Holguin.

But it was that 2012 taped confession between detectives and Lopez that has has others persuaded he is guilty.

Juror Roy Anderki gave ABC-7 this statement:

“I didn’t feel justice was served. I felt there was plenty of overwhelming evidence to charge Lopez for capital murder.”

Anderki went on to say, “I hope the next jury is a better pool.”

Thursday evening Jayla,s grandmother, who lost custody of her in 2012,
tells ABC-7:

“I’ve been following the news. I’ve been crying all day. Justice will be served for Jayla.”

It is unclear if and when the district attorney’s office will pursue a retrial.