A not guilty plea was entered Monday for the Calexico man who was arrested last week in connection with the fatal shooting of his friend.
Victor Alexander Rangel, 18, was charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter with the use of a gun after the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office could not find enough evidence to prosecute him on the charge of murder, Assistant DA Joe Beard said.
“We didn’t feel there was enough evidence to prove malice,” Beard said. The involuntary manslaughter charge prosecutors filed Monday does not include the element of malice, Beard said.
Rangel was arraigned in jail court, where Imperial County Superior Court Judge Matias Contreras entered the plea on his behalf.
Rangel’s next court date is Thursday in jail court where he is expected to learn who his deputy public defender will be.
Calexico police on Thursday initially arrested Rangel on suspicion of murder for the killing of 19-year-old Marc Saucedo, who died from a single gunshot wound to the head that Calexico Police Chief Jim Neujahr said Monday was fired at close range.
Police at first suspected Rangel of deliberately killing Saucedo following a voluntary interview he gave at the Calexico Police Department.
Rangel claimed someone wearing a mask entered his Blair Avenue home and opened fire, but then told detectives the shooting was accidental, Neujahr said.
Anytime police are confronted with the death of a person they suspect someone was responsible for, an arrest on the charge of murder is made until it’s proved otherwise, the chief said.
“Based on the evidence we have so far that would be the appropriate charge,” Neujahr said of the involuntary manslaughter offense Rangel now faces.
Both Rangel and his alleged victim are gang members, Neujahr said.
Rangel, who was still in custody as of press time Monday, has a new bail arrangement of $50,000, jail officials said.
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
Victor Alexander Rangel, 18, was charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter with the use of a gun after the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office could not find enough evidence to prosecute him on the charge of murder, Assistant DA Joe Beard said.
“We didn’t feel there was enough evidence to prove malice,” Beard said. The involuntary manslaughter charge prosecutors filed Monday does not include the element of malice, Beard said.
Rangel was arraigned in jail court, where Imperial County Superior Court Judge Matias Contreras entered the plea on his behalf.
Rangel’s next court date is Thursday in jail court where he is expected to learn who his deputy public defender will be.
Calexico police on Thursday initially arrested Rangel on suspicion of murder for the killing of 19-year-old Marc Saucedo, who died from a single gunshot wound to the head that Calexico Police Chief Jim Neujahr said Monday was fired at close range.
Police at first suspected Rangel of deliberately killing Saucedo following a voluntary interview he gave at the Calexico Police Department.
Rangel claimed someone wearing a mask entered his Blair Avenue home and opened fire, but then told detectives the shooting was accidental, Neujahr said.
Anytime police are confronted with the death of a person they suspect someone was responsible for, an arrest on the charge of murder is made until it’s proved otherwise, the chief said.
“Based on the evidence we have so far that would be the appropriate charge,” Neujahr said of the involuntary manslaughter offense Rangel now faces.
Both Rangel and his alleged victim are gang members, Neujahr said.
Rangel, who was still in custody as of press time Monday, has a new bail arrangement of $50,000, jail officials said.
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
