WIFE BACKS MURDER SUSPECT.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The wife of a Lake Los Angeles man accused of shooting to death another man in a dispute over the defendant's tattoos said she believes the shooting was accidental.

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 $2 million bail.

He is charged in the slaying of Francois, who was shot to death on Sept. 26 in the Chaparral 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 detectives said the victim couldn't understand why the defendant had Hispanic 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.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com