Man found guilty in 2019 killing of Vancouver grandfather

A man has been convicted in the 2019 murder of a Vancouver grandfather.

After four days of deliberation, a jury found Alvaro Julio Roche Garcia guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Zenen Cepeda Silva.

Cepeda Silva, 69, was shot in the back at his home at Fraser Street and East 51st Ave. in January 2019. The judge called the killing cruel, cold-blooded and cowardly.

The victim’s horrified granddaughter and wife were both home when Cepeda Silva was gunned down. The motive apparently involved a financial dispute.

Roche Garcia was sentenced to an automatic 25 years in prison, Vancouver police said Tuesday.

1:29 Man shot and killed in South Vancouver