Man sentenced in fatal shooting outside club

A 39-year-old man accused of killing another man outside a club in North Las Vegas was sentenced to six to 18 years in prison Monday.

District Judge Jennifer Togliatti sentenced Jose Aguilar to spend three to nine years in prison for shooting and killing 30-year-old Douglas Lovo-Chicas outside the El Ranchito Cantina in May 2007. She gave Aguilar an additional six to nine years because a gun was used in the slaying.

Togliatti also ordered Aguilar to pay $9,433 in restitution to Lovo-Chicas' family, which included the cost of sending the victim's body back to his homeland of El Salvador.

Aguilar declined to speak during the hearing. He pleaded guilty during his fall trial to voluntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon.

His attorney, Michael Sanft, said Aguilar shot Lovo-Chicas in self-defense but wanted to take responsibility for the killing.

Lovo-Chicas' common-law wife, Martha Serrano, said she hadn't slept well since Lovo-Chicas was slain.

"All I ask is for a fair, just punishment," she told the judge.

North Las Vegas police said Aguilar and Lovo-Chicas got into a fight over a woman inside the club on May 19, 2007. Lovo-Chicas was thrown out of the bar but confronted Aguilar outside, according to a police report.

Aguilar pulled out a gun and shot Lovo-Chicas in the face, the report stated.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.