A man accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance in the Bostonia area of El Cajon pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a murder charge.
Vincent Frank Pedersen, 42, was ordered held on $1 million in the death of 34-year-old Richard Chartier.
Deputies responding to reports of gunfire found Chartier mortally wounded in his driveway in the 1300 block of Oro Street about 10 p.m. last Friday.
Medics took the victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the abdomen shortly after arrival, said Lt. Kenneth Nelson.
Deputies arrested Pedersen several hours later at his home six blocks south of Chartier’s house.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Investigators were looking into unsubstantiated reports that an accusation of theft between the two men might have played a role in the homicide, the lieutenant said.
Pedersen will be back in court Nov. 18 for a readiness conference and Nov. 23 for a preliminary hearing. He faces 35 years to life in state prison if convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Kristian Trocha.
— City News Service