Isaac L. Lopez appears in Bay County Circuit Court for a plea hearing on Dec. 5, 2022.

BAY CITY, MI — At 19, Isaac L. Lopez was an aspiring rapper who opened fire on four Bay City houses from a bright orange truck.

At 20, Lopez must put his musical ambitions on hold, as he’ll be a prisoner for the next few years.

Lopez on Monday, Feb. 6, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran for sentencing, having pleaded no contest to single counts of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, discharging a firearm in or at a building, and felony firearm in December.

Sheeran sentenced Lopez to two terms of 16 months to 10 years in prison. He also imposed a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to one of the other terms.

The judge gave Lopez credit for 44 days already served in jail on the two-year term.

Lopez pleaded no contest rather than guilty because he had no memory of his crimes, attorney Andrea J. LaBean said during his plea hearing. As such, Sheeran relied on police reports to enter convictions on the record.

Those reports state police responded to a reported drive-by shooting in the 900 block of 17th Street after a resident called 911 to report a bullet hole in his window about 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2021. The caller said the shot had been fired from an orange truck that he last saw heading east on 17th Street.

While officers were on scene, they found three other houses had been struck by gunfire in the 500 block of South Monroe Avenue, the 500 block of South Madison Avenue, and the 900 block of 17th Street. Inside one of the houses were three children, ages 10, 9, and 1, police reports state.

An orange Dodge Ram Daytona reportedly driven by Isaac L. Lopez, 19, in an Aug. 27 drive-by shooting of four Bay City houses.

A resident of one of the 17th Street houses told police that a man had come to their door about 7:30 a.m. asking for two women. The resident told the man that the women did not reside there, after which the man returned to his orange truck and sat in it for a few moments before driving away.

An hour or so later, witnesses heard numerous gunshots and saw the same truck circling the area, police reports show. About 8:45 a.m., an anonymous caller informed authorities the truck involved was an orange Dodge Ram Daytona with a spoiler and a black stripe.

Officers had seen such a vehicle frequently parked at Lopez’s house in 1800 block of West Ridge Road in Hampton Township, their reports state. Police went to the house and spotted the truck, described in their reports as being “very distinctive,” parked there.

The vehicle was in Lopez’s mother’s name, while officers determined Lopez himself had a 9mm pistol registered to him, reports state.

Police erected a perimeter around the house and used a loudspeaker to call for those inside to come out. Lopez’s parents exited the house and told police they believed their son was sleeping inside, and that they did not believe he had left the house that morning.

Lopez’s mom said her son had been awake for two or three days straight, reports state.

Though officers obtained a search warrant, Lopez ended up exiting the house and surrendering without incident about 4:20 p.m.

Inside the orange Daytona, police found 17 spent 9mm shell casings, as well as an uncased Taurus G3 9mm pistol on the front center floorboard. It was loaded with a magazine containing four live rounds, reports state.

Police also found more rounds and magazines in the house, and an AR-15 in Lopez’s bedroom closet, their reports state.

Interviewed at police headquarters, Lopez said he had been awake all night working on his music and was asleep when the drive-by occurred. He said people have made allegations against him in the past, in an effort to curtail his rap career.

“It’s all about the music game,” Lopez told police. “People want to get me in trouble and get me out of the game. I’m not a gang banger or anything like that. That is why I have the gun. I just have it to protect myself from people like that.”

Lopez later said he had been driving the Daytona that morning, but not in the area where the drive-by occurred.

He said he had been looking to meet up with a woman who had sent him her location via Snapchat. He went to one house and knocked on the front door, asking for the woman in question.

On learning the woman did not live there, he left, he told police.

“I can’t do nothing crazy in my truck,” he continued. “Like you said, it sticks out like a sore thumb.”

Pressed further by police, Lopez said a woman had stolen $3,000 from him a few weeks prior. He then admitted to firing his gun at a house over this alleged debt.

“You know what happened,” Lopez said. “I discharged a… you know. I’m not really that type, but 3 grand. (She) had to feel something. I fired 10 rounds. I just planned on scaring her a little bit. Ain’t no intention of hurting anyone.”

He went on to say he was “just so angry and so livid.” He did not provide the name of the woman who allegedly stole the money from him, saying he no longer cared about the sum, but was more motivated by having been disrespected.

“I was in a different state of mind,” Lopez said, according to police reports. “It was essentially a blackout for me.”

Aspiring rapper pleads to shooting 4 Bay City houses from distinctive truck when he was 19

Man accused of shooting 4 Bay City houses from distinctive truck bound over for trial

Teen linked to drive-by shooting of four Bay City houses by ‘very distinctive’ orange truck

Four Bay City houses struck by gunfire, teen suspect jailed

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