Life sentence for San Mateo ‘revenge hit’ murder

The murder drew attention for the “revenge hit” aspect and its brazen public setting but also because it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Lasi Jr., of San Jose, was found shot and killed outside Wells Fargo Bank at the Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo at around 9:30 a.m. Dec. 19, 2020. Lasi left his residence at the Hillsdale Garden Apartment, where he lived for four months, and went to his car parked near the bank at 81 Hillsdale Blvd., and was shot five times.

At the time, police looked into whether it was related to another homicide in October of that year, that was also targeted and involved a prominent rapper. However, it was determined the cases were not connected.

In April 2021, a Torrance woman was arrested for allegedly investigating and misidentifying Lasi as her boyfriend’s killer that resulted in his death as retaliation. Amanda Young, 29, was accused of beginning a “street investigation” into the death of her boyfriend, Lewis Reupena, and incorrectly identifying Lasi Jr. as responsible, police said. Reupena was shot and killed in Orange County in August. The California Highway Patrol investigated Reupena’s killing and confirmed Lasi was not involved based on its investigation.

On Thursday, June 27, a jury found Reupena guilty of first degree murder, lying in wait and conspiracy to commit murder. He took the stand on Friday, June 21, in what his lawyer presented as an act of self defense, prosecutors said.

Reupena previously testified that he had driven to San Mateo from Los Angeles to talk to Lasi Jr. about his brother’s August 2020 murder. He shot Lasi Jr. after he allegedly threatened him by saying “f— your brother. ... I got something for you too, b—,” and then quickly walked back to his car, making the defendant fear for his life, he said.

But prosecutor Josh Stauffer maintained the shooting was the final, intentional act of a conspiracy to kill the victim.

“This was not a crime of emotion or passion. This was simply a revenge hit, and they got the wrong guy. What could be worse? This is an innocent victim,” District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said after the conviction. “I’m glad the jury saw through Mr. Repuena’s repeated lies. He so deserves to never breathe free air again.”

Reupena was living in Blanchard, Oklahoma, at the time of his arrest by San Mateo detectives, and Young was arrested by San Mateo police detectives April 15 in Southern California after previously living in Oklahoma with Reupena’s family.