Man pleads not guilty to murder in Montclair nightclub killing

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- An Ontario man accused of shooting and killing a woman at a Montclair nightclub pleaded not guilty to murder this afternoon in West Valley Superior Court.

Prosecutors accuse Armando Hernandez Ledesma of killing Rafaela Davila on Sunday at the El Encanto nightclub at 10555 Mills Ave.

In a felony complaint filed today, prosecutors allege Ledesma, 22, killed 31-year-old Davila to benefit an Ontario street gang.

Deputy District Attorney Mary Izadi said today that prosecutors have "no documentation" that indicates Davila was a gang member.

At about 2 a.m. Sunday, Davila and at least one other woman began fighting in the parking lot outside the nightclub, and a group of men surrounded them, police said.

One of the men pulled out a gun and fired the shots that killed Davila, police said.

Ledesma was arrested at 5:45 a.m. Monday in the 800 block of East Cedar Street in Ontario.

Authorities believe Ledesma was the only gunman in the incident, but others might be charged with murder or other crimes in connection with the killing, Izadi said.

The prosecutor said the shooting remains under investigation by the Montclair Police Department.

Ledesma wore orange jail scrubs during his brief court appearance.

His attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, and Judge Raymond P. Van Stockum ordered Ledesma held without bail.

Ledesma is scheduled to next appear in court Tuesday, and a preliminary hearing -- in which prosecutors present evidence for a case to proceed to trial -- is tentatively scheduled for April 5.