A 19-year-old suspected gang member accused of opening fire outside a party in the Talmadge neighborhood and shooting a 17-year-old bystander who ended up paralyzed pleaded not guilty Monday to attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and other charges.
Juan Diaz Velazco faces up to 72 years to life in state prison if convicted of all counts stemming from the Oct. 28 shooting.
San Diego police said gunfire broke out just before 1 a.m. amid a fight between two groups of people on Winona Avenue. One of the individuals allegedly produced a firearm and fired it multiple times, striking the victim in the back.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the shooting happened after “gang members issued gang challenges to rivals outside of a high school party. Diaz Velazco fired the first shots which hit and paralyzed an innocent girl, who was a high school cheerleader.”
County jail records indicate Diaz Velazco was booked into custody last Thursday. He remains held without bail.
“This case demonstrates the destructive consequences of gang violence on neighborhoods and people who want to live in peace,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan in a statement. “We will keep fighting to make our neighborhoods safe and hold criminals accountable.”
Shane Harris, head of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, publicly stated last month that the victim is his niece and that the shooting left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Harris’ announcement was part of a call to end local gun violence following a spate of shootings that occurred that weekend across the county.
One of those shootings included the Oct. 28 double homicide of a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man at a house party in El Cajon, which is also believed to be gang-related. Two defendants were arrested last month in connection with that shooting and both have been charged with murder.
Another shooting happened that day at the Novo Brazil restaurant in Chula Vista, leaving four people injured. A 15-year-old boy was later arrested and charged in juvenile court with attempted murder and other counts.
City News Service contributed to this article.