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WIFE BACKS MURDER SUSPECT.


Byline: Karen Karen

Any member of a variety of tribal peoples of southern Myanmar (Burma). Constituting the second largest minority in Myanmar, the Karen are not a unitary group in any ethnic sense, as they differ among themselves linguistically, religiously, and economically.
 Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The wife of a Lake Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850.  man accused of shooting to death another man in a dispute over the defendant's tattoos said she believes the shooting was accidental accidental /ac·ci·den·tal/ (ak?si-den´t'l)
1. occurring by chance, unexpectedly, or unintentionally.

2. nonessential; not innate or intrinsic.
.

Angela Hammontree said her husband, Ricky Hammontree, who is charged in the killing of 32-year-old Cody Francois in a shooting last September in a Lancaster mobile home park, is innocent and would never hurt anyone.

``I know it was a big accident. My husband is nothing like this. He's a great husband and a father,'' said Angela Hammontree, 24. ``I'm sorry for what happened to Cody. I feel for him in my heart. My husband wouldn't hurt anybody. He's a good person.''

Ricky Hammontree, 25, has pleaded not guilty to murder and was scheduled to appear Thursday for a preliminary hearing. He was being held in lieu of Instead of; in place of; in substitution of. It does not mean in addition to.  $2 million bail.

He is charged in the slaying of Francois, who was shot to death on Sept. 26 in the Chaparral chaparral (chăpərăl`), type of plant community in which shrubs are dominant. It occurs usually in regions having from 10 to 20 in. (25–50 cm) of rainfall annually and with a Mediterranean-type climate.  Mobile Home Park in the 1500 block of East Avenue I.

Investigators said he killed Francois after a disagreement about why the defendant, who is white, had Latino gang tattoos. Homicide homicide (hŏm`əsīd), in law, the taking of human life. Homicides that are neither justifiable nor excusable are considered crimes. A criminal homicide committed with malice is known as murder, otherwise it is called manslaughter.  detectives said the victim couldn't understand why the defendant had Hispanic Hispanic Multiculture A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race Social medicine Any of 17 major Latino subcultures, concentrated in California, Texas, Chicago, Miam, NY, and elsewhere  gang tattoos.

Angela Hammontree said the shooting was not gang-related, and her husband does not have gang tattoos.

``That is not my husband at all. There's tattoos, but this case has nothing to do with any type of gang at all,'' she said. ``He's the sweetest person and has the biggest heart for people. It's horrible that they want to pin it on somebody just because they have a prior record.''

Authorities described Ricky Hammontree as living at the park off and on, but his wife said he lived with her in Lake Los Angeles with their four children, ages 6, 5, 2 and 1.

Her husband had gone to his sister's residence in the park after his oldest daughter had surgery to remove her appendix, Angela Hammontree said.

Only one parent could stay overnight in the hospital room, his wife said.

``My daughter was in the hospital. She had just had surgery. Me and my husband were up all night,'' she said. ``He went over there to take a shower and change clothes.''

She described her husband and Francois as acquaintances who joked and laughed with each other and said there would be no reason for her husband to hurt Francois.

Francois, who also was white, was not a member of a gang and worked in construction, investigators said.

Ricky Hammontree was arrested two days after the shooting in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley

Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills.
.

Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com
COPYRIGHT 2004 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2004, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Mar 22, 2004
Words:450
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