The suspect accused of fatally shooting a man outside a National City World Cup Party has pleaded not guilty to charges against him.
On Thursday, a judge ordered that Daniel A. Gonzalez be held on a $2 million bond after he was arraigned on charges of murder and personal use of a firearm.
Police say Gonzalez shot Josue Crook, 36, after a fight at the Rincon Del Mar restaurant spilled out onto the street on June 17. The restaurant had been hosting a party for the Mexico-Brazil World Cup game at the time, but it’s unclear if the fight had anything to do with the soccer match.
Gonzalez also faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon against a separate victim.
After National City Police identified Gonzalez as the lead suspect in the shooting, he was arrested in Tijuana on July 14 -- one reason his bail was set at $2 million.
“Mr. Gonzalez was picked up in Mexico and brought back to the United States, and we believe that constitutes a flight risk,” said Deputy District Attorney David Grapilon.
The defense did not dispute the bail amount at this time, but Gonzalez does deny all charges against him.
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He is scheduled to be back in court on Aug. 5. If convicted on the murder and firearm charges, Gonzalez would be sentenced to a minimum of 50 years to life in prison.
