Alleged gang member pleads not guilty in Upland murder case
A 21-year-old alleged gang member accused of shooting and killing a fellow gangster in Upland last week pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and street terrorism charges.
Daniel Vera is accused of shooting and killing 29-year-old Manuel Vega at about 6 p.m. on Jan. 13 in front of an apartment complex in the 370 block of Stillman Avenue.
Prosecutors filed charges against Vera on Tuesday, and he was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in West Valley Superior Court.
He is currently being held at West Valley Detention Center with no possibility of bail.
Vera faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts, said Deputy District Attorney Carlo DiCesare, the prosecuting attorney.
According to police reports attached to Vera's case file, a witness told detectives she saw Vera and Vega together in front of Vega's home the afternoon of the shooting.
The witness recognized Vera and described a large gang tattoo he had on the back of his neck.
Gang detectives immediately connected Vera to the shooting based on the witness's description of the tattoo, which they said was one-of-a-kind, according to the police report.
The clothing the witness said Vera wore that afternoon matched descriptions of the shooter's clothing from other witnesses who saw the shooter running away from the scene.
The witness also identified Vera in a photo lineup shown to her by police, according to the police report.
Police pulled Vera over near Grove Avenue and G Street and arrested him in the early morning on Jan. 15 after trailing his car for several hours.
In interviews with police, Vera denied having anything to do with the shooting.
He said that on the day of the shooting he was at Ontario Mills from about 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., then he went home and ate dinner with his brother.
He said he laid down after the meal because he was so full. A friend called him and told him Vega had been shot and killed, he said.
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