Isaiah Reupena
On Thursday, June 27, a jury found a 37-year-old Torrance man guilty of killing 30-year-old Melota Lasi Jr. in a December 2020 conspiratorial revenge killing, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The man, Isaiah Reupena, 37, was found guilty of first degree murder, lying in wait, and conspiracy to commit murder, Wagstaffe said. He faces life without possibility of parole.
Reupena confessed to killing Melota Lasi Jr., known by his rap name Cutty Banks, while taking the stand on Friday, June 21, in what his lawyer presented as an act of self defense.
Reupena previously testified that he had driven to San Mateo from Los Angeles to talk to Lasi Jr. about his brother Lewis Reupena’s August 2020 murder. He shot Lasi Jr. after Lasi Jr. 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. Lewis Reupena’s family and friends wrongly believed Lasi Jr. to be responsible for his prior killing after conducting their own investigation into his death, Stauffer said.
“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,” Wagstaffe said. “I’m glad the jury saw through Mr. Repuena’s repeated lies. He so deserves to never breathe free air again.”
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