A judge sentenced an Auburn man to just under 18 years for the second-degree murder of his girlfriend in 2021 at a Kent hotel.

Phillip Jonathan Lopez received a sentence of 17 years and 11 months from King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs on March 21 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, according to court records. A jury found Lopez guilty Dec. 31, 2024.

Lopez beat to death Amber M. Keith, 33, on June 14, 2021 at the Ramada Inn, 22318 84th Ave. S., according to charging documents. Lopez was 36 at the time of the killing.

Judge Wiggs denied a motion by the attorneys for Lopez for an exceptional sentence below the standard range, according to court minutes, which did not include the requested reduced length of sentence.

“The Court does not find factually and/or legally that there is any basis for an exceptional downward sentence,” according to court minutes.

Lopez addressed the court along with his father, daughter, sister and niece. A victim’s advocate read impact statements on behalf of Keith’s family and friends.

Lopez will get credit for time served in the King County jail since his arrest in 2021. He must be on community custody for three years after his release.

The judge also ordered that during his time in custody Lopez must enter into, make reasonable progress in, and successfully complete domestic violence batterer’s treatment, a cognitive behavioral therapy alternative such as domestic violence moral reconation therapy or thinking for a change.

On June 14, 2021, a hotel security employee at Ramada Inn called 911 at about 10:56 a.m. to report a “very violent” situation and “we have someone getting murdered in 214,” according to charging papers. It took Kent Police 52 minutes to respond. Officers were diverted to another call about a report of someone with a knife.

The security member called 911 again at about 11:26 a.m. regarding the time delay and expressing imminent concern for the woman’s safety. He said the man “was really beating her really bad.”

At 11:43 a.m., Lopez called 911 to report his girlfriend, Keith, had overdosed on opiates and was not conscious and not breathing. He said she had been unconscious for about 5 minutes prior to his call. At around 11:48 a.m., while Lopez was still on the phone with 911, the 911 call receiver instructed him to open the hotel door for King County medics to enter and he complied.

Two Kent Police officers arrived moments later, according to court documents, 52 minutes after the initial 911 call.

An internal investigation by Kent-based Valley Communications (Valley Comm) into the slow response showed “dispatchers handled two 911 calls “appropriately per policies.”

Medics found Keith lying supine on the floor with blood coming from her nose and mouth and she did not have a pulse. Lopez was the only other person in the room. Medics attempted lifesaving measures, but pronounced Keith dead at 12:07 p.m.

Police arrested Lopez at the hotel. Officers observed fresh cuts on his left hand and blood on his face and that he was sweating profusely. Those observations and the initial report of a fight in the room led officers to detain Lopez.

Lopez told detectives during an interview at the Kent Police Station that he had been dating Keith for about seven years. He said she had overdosed on opiates and he tried to perform CPR. He claimed he did not hit Keith and that they had not been fighting. After about 20 minutes, detectives noted Lopez became frustrated with the amount of questions and requested an attorney, which stopped the interview.