Two men pleaded not guilty Tuesday, March 9 to charges stemming from the apparent gang-related shooting death of an innocent bystander who was struck by gunfire in Long Beach.
Jacquise Wright, 31, and Tyquan Benson, 25, both of Long Beach, are charged in the Dec. 4, 2019, killing of Alejandra Martinez.
The 36-year-old woman was shot about 11:20 p.m. in a parking lot near Magnolia Avenue and Anaheim Street, where several people were buying food from a mobile vendor, according to Long Beach police.
Detectives believe a gang-related dispute escalated into a shooting and “also believe the victim was not the intended target,” according to a statement released last month by the Long Beach Police Department.
A female juvenile was also struck in the upper body, but recovered, police said.
Wright and Benson were arrested Feb. 18 and have remained behind bars since then, jail records show.
Along with the murder count, the two are charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and shooting from a motor vehicle.
Benson is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Prosecutors allege that he has two burglary convictions from 2014.
