Post by CCADP on Aug 18, 2005 18:32:44 GMT -5
Man Pleads Not Guilty in Killing
A gang member accused of fatally shooting a Los Angeles County sheriff's
deputy in June pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of murder,
attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Jose Luis Orozco, 27, has been held without bail since June 24, the day
authorities say he shot Deputy Jerry Ortiz in the head as Ortiz
investigated a gang-related shooting in Hawaiian Gardens.
The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegations of murder
of a peace officer, murder while lying in wait and murder to avoid arrest,
which means Orozco could face the death penalty.
The attempted murder charge stems from a shooting 4 days earlier that
injured a man working in his yard in Hawaiian Gardens.
Ortiz, of Diamond Bar, was a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department
who worked with a gang enforcement team. He is survived by his wife, whom
he married a few weeks before being shot, and 2 sons, ages 16 and 6.
Ortiz was checking identifications just outside an apartment door when he
was shot by someone inside.
(source for both: Los Angeles Times)