Lopez testified in his own defense on Monday, during the third week of the trial in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Deputy Public Defender George Steele asked Lopez about an incident when he was a minor, in which he attacked someone with a rock. She also asked Lopez about his views on spanking and “whooping” children when they misbehave. Karapetian then referenced a post Lopez put on his Facebook account weeks before Solis’ death, where he seemed to support spanking. Lopez’s mother, Maria Arateli Lopez, testified that she never saw her son be violent toward Valladares or her children.