FORT SMITH -- Three men and a boy charged in last weekend's shooting of a man who, according to court records, they claimed had disrespected their gang pleaded not guilty to murder charges Wednesday.
The four appeared before Sebastian County Circuit Judge J. Michael Fitzhugh on first-degree murder and terroristic act charges in the Saturday death of 18-year-old Justin Lopez.
Jorge Andres Chirinos, 16, was charged as an adult in Lopez's death, along with Bryan Porras, 19; Ryan Saige Oxford, 19; and Alberto Damien Chavez, 18, all of Fort Smith. Fitzhugh set each defendant's bail at $500,000.
The Sebastian County public defender's office was appointed to represent Chirinos and Chavez. Attorneys with the Arkansas Public Defender Commission were to be appointed to represent Porras and Oxford.
The terroristic act charge accuses the four of shooting at an occupiable structure with the purpose of causing physical injury to a person, causing Lopez's death.
In furthering the terroristic act, the murder charge stated, they caused Lopez's death under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.
Porras, Oxford and Chavez were arraigned by video from the Sebastian County jail. Chirinos was taken before Fitzhugh in court for his arraignment Wednesday because he is a youth and can not mingle with adult inmates.
Shackled and wearing a white juvenile detention center jumpsuit, Chirinos was dwarfed by the armed bailiffs surrounding him as he stood before Fitzhugh during the brief hearing.
Porras was charged with additional offenses along with his girlfriend, Mariah Kay Crocker, 18. They entered innocent pleas to charges of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a defaced firearm, possession of morphine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Separately, Porras was charged in the case with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Crocker's bail was set at $50,000.
Court records state the three men and the boy were members of a gang called Slanga 96 and that Lopez's name was on a list of people who had disrespected the gang. Records say they drove to a north Fort Smith residence Saturday night and fired 33 bullets into a camper trailer behind a residence. The trailer was occupied by Lopez and Trey Miller, 20, police said.
Lopez was struck and killed by the gunfire. Miller, who hid in the bathroom at the rear of the camper, was not injured.
Police later executed a search warrant at Porras' and Crocker's apartment, where they found firearms and drugs, authorities said.
NW News on 01/19/2017