Jose Lopez

MAYS LANDING – A Ventnor City man pleaded guilty to the Feb. 18, 2017 stabbing death of an Atlantic City woman and the non-fatal stabbing of a man, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said Thursday.

Jose B. Lopez, 53, of Ventnor pleaded guilt to the murder of Bessy Blanco, 54, and the  attempted murder of Mark Richart, 52 of Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

On Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 7:57 p.m., Atlantic City Police and emergency medical personnel responded to N. Harrisburg Avenue in Atlantic City for a 9-1-1 call. Upon arrival, police found Richart was the victim of a stabbing. Police found  Blanco, also the victim of a stabbing, dead at the scene. Richart was transported to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division.

The next morning, a Galloway Township Police officer located Lopez in Galloway Township operating a motor vehicle that belonged to Richart. The officer radioed for backup units, stopped the vehicle and arrested Lopez without incident. Lopez was transported to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, where he was processed for the arrest, then lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility, where he remains.

Lopez pleaded guilty to the murder of Blanco, which carries a sentence of 30 years in New Jersey state prison without parole. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Richart, which carries a sentence of 20 years in New Jersey state prison, must serve 85 percent. The sentences will be served concurrently.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Atlantic City Police Department, with the assistance of the Galloway Township Police Department, the Egg Harbor City Police Department, and the Mullica Township Police Department.

Lopez’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2019. Assistant Prosecutor Rick McKelvey represents the state in the matter.