BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green on Monday refused a request to lower the bond for a woman involved in a fatal shooting in Siloam Springs.
Karla Martinez, 18, of Decatur is being held on $200,000 bond in the Benton County Jail. She was arrested in connection with tampering with physical evidence and hindering apprehension or prosecution. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against her.
She appeared in court Monday for her arraignment. Green rescheduled the hearing for Aug. 25.
Martinez was arrested in connection with a June 25 incident in which two people were shot, including one who died.
Francisco Ochoa, 17, of Gentry is charged as an adult with murder in the first degree, unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, terroristic act, battery and two counts of aggravated assault. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 7.
Ochoa is accused of shooting and killing Kathrine Pembleton. She was pronounced dead at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital. The other victim, a 17-year-old girl, was taken to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, treated and released, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Cody Dowden, Martinez's attorney, asked the judge to consider reducing his client's bond to between $25,000 and $50,000. He said Martinez had cooperated with police and had not been arrested on a murder charge.
Thomas Gean, deputy prosecutor, argued against reducing the bond. He told the judge Martinez was in the car at the time of shooting, and she hid the gun after the crime. He said Martinez initially lied to police, though she later provided information about the shooting.
Gean said prosecutors could potentially look at charging Martinez with murder.
A woman called 911 just before midnight June 25 saying her daughter's friends had been shot. Siloam Springs police and fire medical personnel went to 817 B Whiterock St. and provided aid to the victims, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The woman's 17-year-old daughter told police a woman she identified as Martinez had been arguing with a friend of hers over some clothing.
A witness -- another 17-year-old girl -- told police she, Pembleton and the other shooting victim were sitting on the tailgate of a pickup outside the Whiterock Street home. That's when a car drove by without its lights on, then turned around. While passing the home again, someone in the car fired four to six shots, according to the affidavit.
Police searched Ochoa's car and found numerous shell casings which appeared to be of the same brand as a shell casing found at the scene of the shooting, according to the affidavit. Martinez told police she and Ochoa went to the Whiterock Street house together the night of June 25 and were there for some time. She said as soon as they went to leave, Ochoa pulled out a gun, according to the affidavit.
Martinez told police she hid the gun Ochoa used so he wouldn't get in trouble but added she felt "horrible" after it happened, according to the affidavit. She told police she'd hidden the gun in her attic, and police later found a pistol in the place she described, according to the affidavit.
Ochoa was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $750,000 bond set.