A suspect in the 2005 stabbing death of a 19-year-old man in National City pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and other charges.
Anthony Raymond Rivers, 30, was arrested Monday in a neighborhood near Mount Helix in connection with what police described as the unprovoked slaying of Luis Vasquez more than 12 years ago.
National City police Lt. David Bavencoff said Rivers and two other men allegedly attacked Vasquez in the 200 block of Highland Avenue late on the evening of April 9, 2005.
One of Vasquez’s three companions, his 26-year-old brother, suffered less severe wounds.
Bavencoff did not disclose what led investigators to belatedly identify Rivers as a suspect in the case, in which he also faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Rivers could be sentenced to 53 years to life in prison if convicted.
Another defendant, Jose Hernandez Hurtado, was arrested in 2005 and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and admitted a gang allegation. A third suspect, Jorge Ibarra, was arrested in Mexico in January and extradited to San Diego County to face charges.
Rivers, whose bail was set at $3 million, will be back in court Nov. 15 for a readiness conference and Dec. 13 for a preliminary hearing.
–City News Service