A new attempted murder charge has been brought against Dan Lopez in the shooting of Alfred Mahler, a land manager who was attacked while carrying out routine inspections on a property he oversees, according to official law enforcement announcements. The shooting, which occurred one week prior to the September 28, 2026 filing of charges, left Mahler hospitalized, though medical updates confirm he remains in stable condition as he receives treatment.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, head of the National Crime Investigation Unit, publicly confirmed the new charges against Lopez in a press statement. Romero also revealed that investigators had recovered a .223-caliber rifle, which has been confirmed as the weapon used in the shooting of Mahler. Following the filing of the charges, Romero confirmed that law enforcement has now escorted Lopez to court to face the new allegation.
This latest charge marks the second time this year Lopez has been accused of attempted murder. Earlier in 2026, he was charged with the same offense in the shooting of Police Sergeant Dalon Kelly during a confrontation centered on a disputed plot of land. Law enforcement alleges that Lopez shot Kelly as officers moved to arrest him, but Lopez’s defense attorney has pushed back on that narrative, arguing that Kelly’s injury occurred accidentally when police attempted to seize a lawfully licensed firearm owned by Lopez.
Long before the 2026 charges, Lopez had already been entangled in a years-long public conflict over land rights at Maya Ranch. He has repeatedly been accused of confronting land managers and forestry officials over competing claims to ownership and access to the property, a dispute that has required repeated police intervention and multiple trips through the court system.
Despite the long-running conflict tied to Maya Ranch, Mahler’s family has pushed back on any assumption that the shooting is connected to the dispute. They emphasize that Mahler had no personal stake in the conflict over the land; he was simply hired to carry out professional management duties for the property, they said.