HOLLISTER
Two Hollister teenagers pleaded not guilty to murder charges Monday and will head to trial for the death of Daniel Gallegos.
Gonzalo Munguia, 19, and Emilio Roman, 18, were ordered in July to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder with a special gang enhancement.
The enhancement makes Munguia – who was an adult at the time of Gallegos’ death – eligible for the death penalty. District Attorney Candice Hooper has said she will seek the death penalty if Munguia is convicted of capital murder.
Police believe Roman and Munguia are members of the Sureño street gang. Gallegos’ younger brother, however, testified in July that the fight was not gang-related.
The teenagers will appear in court again Dec. 17, when a judge will set a date to hear a request to separate their cases.
Defense attorneys are expected to make the request to separate the cases heading into trial because they were combined for a hearing at which a judge decided Munguia and Roman should be tried.
The 18-year-old Gallegos was run over with a car during a July 2006 altercation in the 200 block of Hillcrest Road and died of his injuries early the next morning, police said. Gallegos and his brother were walking along Hillcrest Road when Munguia and Roman pulled up in a car behind them and began a fight, the younger Gallegos testified.
Authorities allege Munguia was driving the car that killed the teenager, and Gallegos’ younger brother testified Roman was not in the vehicle at the time.
