Thread: Three plead innocent in Ark. motorist's death

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Three plead innocent in Ark. motorist's death


Tuesday, June 13, 2006 12:49 PM CDT

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Three people accused in the shooting death of a motorist have pleaded innocent to charges in the case.

Benton County Prosecutor Robin Green says she plans to seek the death penalty against Serafin Sandoval-Vega, 19, and Manuel Enrique Camacho, 25. She says she may seek a life sentence against Roxana Hernandez, 21.

The three entered pleas Monday in the death of Daniel Ray Francis, 32, of Little Flock. Francis, a diesel mechanic for J.B. Hunt trucking company, was fatally wounded May 6 while sitting in a car with a co-worker at a stoplight in Rogers. The shooting left him brain dead and he was taken off life support the next day.

Police say Francis stopped after work to buy beer with co-worker Tracy Stith, 37. Stith was driving. And as he drove off the parking lot of County Line Liquor in Springdale, a car pulled up behind them, passed, then pulled in front of them and slowed down, according to police. Stith told police someone, possibly the driver, stuck his hand out the sunroof and made an obscene gesture.

Stith passed the car, pulled in front of it and applied his brakes, police say. The cars separated then continued on until stopping at a traffic signal at Pleasant Grove Road in Lowell. As the light turned green, a passenger in the back seat of the car next to Stith's stuck a gun out the window and fired three shots at Stith's car, killing Francis, police say. Stith got the car's license number.

When police pulled over the suspect's car, Camacho was driving, Hernandez was in the front seat and Sandoval-Vega was in the back seat. Police say Sandoval-Vega admitted firing the gun at Stith's car and told police that Hernandez handed him the gun and that Hernandez and Camacho encouraged him to fire it.

Sandoval-Vega is charged with capital murder and committing a terroristic act.

Camacho, an illegal immigrant, and Hernandez are each charged with accomplice to capital murder and accomplice to a terroristic act. Camacho is believed to be active in a gang from southern California called the Surenos 13, according to court documents.

The three were jailed in Benton County. Sandoval-Vega and Camacho were being held without bond. Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger set bond for Hernandez at $250,000.

Hearings are scheduled for Aug. 7 and a trial is set for Oct. 10 before Circuit Judge Tom Keith.

Hernandez' attorney, Marianne Hudson, told Clinger that without her knowledge, a detective went to the jail and took a statement from her client. Green said Hernandez contacted the Arkansas State Police herself. Green promised to provide a copy of the interview to Hudson.

Jail sentences without parole are not acceptable when such matters as this occurs....all should be given the death sentence with no appeals.

Fry them, we use to have old sparky in Okla, bring it out of retirement.

3 dirtbags, we won't miss them. That's 3 less we have to deport.

Can't imagine why the judge set bail one one of them. They are all equally complicit and M.S. 13 members to boot. Hope they rot in jail. These 3 have undoubtedly caused a lot of human misery.