A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge sentenced a man to 33 years in prison for fatally stabbing Jorge Diaz Jr. of Santa Barbara in the Eastside neighborhood.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office charged Ernesto Gil Lopez, 35, of Santa Barbara with murder after the 2020 stabbing. He pleaded guilty in May to voluntary manslaughter.

He also admitted several enhancements that added years onto his prison sentence, including personal use of a deadly or dangerous weapon and having a prior serious/violent felony conviction.

Judge Brian Hill sentenced Lopez on July 19, according to court documents.

Lopez was admitted to Wasco State Prison last week, according to the CDCR Inmate Locator.

Santa Barbara police said they responded to the area of Cacique and South Voluntario streets around 9:15 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2020, and found Diaz, Jr. critically injured. He was taken to the hospital and declared dead shortly after, according to police.

Defense attorney Meghan Behrens represented Lopez, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Tate McCallister prosecuted the case.

Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.