Two of four men accused in the shooting death of a Pacific Beach resident killed in his home late last year pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats.
Carlos Yslas, 24, and Pedro Ramirez, 27, were already in custody on unrelated charges when they were re-arrested recently in connection with the slaying of 44-year-old Marcanthony Mendivil.
The men are accused along with 50-year-old Paul Weinberger and 37-year- old Freddy Sosa of killing Mendivil in the predawn hours of Dec. 29. Weinberger and Sosa were arrested the day of the killing and pleaded not guilty Jan. 4 to charges of murder and assault with a firearm.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the shooting, but did say that Weinberger lived in the residence where Mendivil was shot.
Officers responded to a 1:47 a.m. call of a possible shooting Dec. 29 in the home in the 2300 block of Wilbur Avenue and found Mendivil suffering from a gunshot wound, San Diego Police Lt. Matt Dobbs said.
Paramedics took Mendivil to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m., Dobbs said.
Deputy District Attorney Flavio Nominati alleged during Yslas and Ramirez’s arraignment that both men entered the home while masked and gloved.
Yslas, who was allegedly armed with a shotgun, threatened another witness with the gun, then fired twice on Mendivil, the prosecutor alleged. The men then fled the scene in a vehicle, Nominati alleged.
Their connection to Weinberger and Sosa was unclear.
Yslas and Ramirez are each being held on $3 million bail, and are slated to return to court for a status conference on March 1.
Jail records indicate Yslas and Ramirez were both booked into the George F. Bailey Detention Facility on Jan. 22. Yslas was arrested at the time for a parole violation and Ramirez was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
— City News Service
