In Montgomery County Circuit Court, Judge Sharon Burrell sentenced 26-year-old Cesar Alexander Lopez of Hyattsville to ten years in prison, suspending all but five years, followed by five years of supervised probation. Lopez pleaded guilty in November 2024 to involuntary manslaughter in the death of 17-year-old Aiden Vining, who overdosed after taking pills purchased from him.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “On October 24, 2023, a family member found the victim unresponsive in his bedroom when they tried to wake him for school. Fire Rescue attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately the victim, Aiden Vining, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers located a straw with white residue on the scene and a round blue pill labelled “M 30” in Vining’s wallet. These types of pills are often referred to as Percocet, percs, erks or 30s on the street. The Office of the Chief Medical examiner performed an autopsy and ruled the cause of death to be Cocaine and Fentanyl Intoxication.
Defendant, Cesar Alexander Lopez was arrested following an investigation by Montgomery County Police. On October 23, 2023, phone messages between the defendant and victim indicated they arranged for the victim to purchase ten “percs.” Subsequent investigation revealed that Vining had also purchased cocaine from the defendant three days prior to his death.”
