Arizona Man Sentenced to 50 Years to Life For Petaluma Murder

Defendant Paul Coilton, fifty-nine years old of Salome, Arizona, was sentenced today by the Honorable Laura Passaglia to serve a term of 50 years-to-life in state prison after having pled guilty in February to a charge of first-degree murder and admitting an enhancement for using a firearm during the commission of the murder.

District Attorney Rodriguez stated, “It is incredibly sad to hear the impact that this offense has had on the family members of the victim in this case. This was a senseless tragedy, and hopefully this sentence brings some small measure of closure to the family.”

The charges were the result of the defendant fatally shooting victim Steven Edward Lopez five times and leaving him on the side of Highway 116 near Ernie’s Tin Bar in Petaluma on November 10, 2024. Lopez was discovered gravely wounded sometime after the shooting and died while being transported by an ambulance to a local hospital. A Sonoma County Sheriff’s investigation revealed that Coilton’s DNA was found on the .380 Ruger Security handgun used during the murder and recovered from the scene. The defendant was apprehended in San Jose driving the victim’s pickup truck less than 12 hours after the killing and was seen on video with the victim before the murder loading marijuana into the back of the victim’s truck. Although prohibited from owning firearms based on having seven prior felony convictions, investigators discovered that Coilton had purchased the firearm in Arizona approximately one month prior and transported it into California before using it to murder Lopez. Coilton’s prior felony convictions include a residential robbery in 1983 and an assault with a firearm conviction in 1992. His entire criminal record spans more than forty years and includes five separate prior prison commitments.

Coilton entered a “no contest” plea on February 6, 2025, to first degree murder and admitted that the murder was committed with premeditation and deliberation, which carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Coilton also admitted an allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm resulting in death, which adds an additional term of 25 years to life to his sentence. Although Coilton was sentenced to a term of 50 years to life in prison, under California’s elder parole statute which was enacted by the California legislature in 2018, Coilton will be eligible for possible release after serving only 20 years of his sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Robert L Blade, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Fuentes. Violent Crimes Detective Robert Sutherland of  the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office headed the investigation.

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