ALLEGED SPREE SHOOTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY.Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - A man accused of shooting and killing a store clerk and wounding two others on New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. before turning the gun on himself pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder charges, authorities said. Robert Wheeler, 25, who initially was not expected to survive a self- inflicted gunshot wound to the head, appeared in Newhall Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder In the criminal law, attempted murder is committed when the defendant does an act that is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the crime of murder and, at the time of these acts, the person has a specific intention to kill. . Wheeler is accused of killing Christopher Ray Simons, 24, who was working at Santa Clarita Adult Gifts on the evening of Jan. 1. Store surveillance tape showed Wheeler shooting Simons in the face with a .22-caliber rifle before taking merchandise and leaving the store, authorities said. Family members of Simons attended the arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Bradley Lieberman said. Wheeler is suspected of shooting in the back a man who was sifting through a trash can In the Macintosh, a simulated garbage can used for deleting files and folders. The trash can keeps the files intact in case the user wants to restore them, but can be "emptied" from time to time to save disk space. that same night. A third man told investigators that Wheeler shot him in the back that night after the man allegedly found Wheeler trying to break into his Bouquet Canyon area home. According to investigators at the Santa Clarita sheriff's station, Wheeler called them from a pay phone early the next morning and confessed to the shootings. When deputies approached the pay phone on Pico Canyon Road in Stevenson Ranch, Wheeler ran to a van and shot himself, authorities said. The first-degree murder charge includes the special circumstances special circumstances n. in criminal cases, particularly homicides, actions of the accused or the situation under which the crime was committed for which state statutes allow or require imposition of a more severe punishment. of committing robbery and burglary during the murder, which could earn Wheeler a life sentence if he is convicted. Amy Raisin Darvish, (661) 257-5254 amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com |
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