Parole revoked for convicted Santa Cruz County murderer after new charges filed

A man convicted of a 1984 murder has had his parole revoked by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office after he was arrested on new charges.

Gary Randolf Gray was convicted for the murder of Raul Lopez in 1984. The DA’s Office said Gray robbed Lopez of his groceries and threw him off a bridge, even though Lopez cooperated and begged for his life.

Gray received a life sentence, but was granted parole in February 2018. He was released from prison by the Board of Parole and was put in a drug treatment program, but he left after a few months.

Gray’s location was not known until he was arrested for a new offense in Oregon. At the hearing on Thursday, Gray’s parole was revoked, and he was returned to prison to continue serving his life sentence.

The DA’s Office said it objected to Gray’s release and noted that he had no post-release plans or skills, so he had a high risk of re-offending.

Gray will be eligible for reconsideration for parole in a year.