Three plead not guilty in Motel 6 gang killing

Three Pomona men accused in a February gang killing pleaded not guilty today to charges of murder and attempted murder, a prosecutor said.

Cesar Sierra, 32, Albert Martinez, 25, and Florencio Reyes, 18, allegedly visited a Motel 6 in Pomona on Feb. 28 aiming to kill Jorge Sandoval in retaliation for an earlier gang killing.

Sandoval survived their alleged ambush, but his girlfriend, Nelssa Tovar, was shot and killed as she sat in bed during the incident.

The alleged triggerman, Reyes, reportedly killed Tovar to eliminate witnesses, according to testimony at a July preliminary hearing.

All three men remained jailed Friday without the possibility of bail at Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic.

A Feb. 2 trial date was set for the three men today in Pomona Superior Court, said Deputy District Attorney Bjorn Dodd.