18-year-old pleads not guilty to murder in Midway robbery and shooting

An 18-year-old man accused of participating in a botched holdup that ended in the fatal shooting of another young man in the Midway area pleaded not guilty Dec. 9 to eight felony counts, including murder, attempted murder and robbery.

Angel Garcia was arrested Dec. 2 in connection with the Nov. 25 death of 18-year-old Eduardo Salguero, according to San Diego police.

San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hemming said Salguero arranged to make a purchase via the Snapchat app and drove to meet with the supposed sellers in a parking lot behind the Vons supermarket in a shopping center on Midway Drive.

At about 6 p.m., Salguero and another victim arrived in a car, at which point two men — one of them alleged to be Garcia — entered the vehicle and demanded money from the victims at gunpoint, authorities said.

Salguero was shot in the back and his acquaintance ran out of the car and was shot at while fleeing, Hemming said. The bullet missed the second victim but struck the supermarket, according to Hemming.

The car ended up crashing into a retaining wall on the access road behind the shopping center, according to San Diego police Lt. Matt Dobbs.

Salguero was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Dobbs said investigators believed Garcia and the alleged accomplice suffered head, leg and arm injuries during the incident but were able to flee the scene.

Police have not disclosed whether another suspect has been identified, but a Police Department news release stated the robbers were described as Hispanic men approximately 20 to 30 years old and wearing dark clothing.

Garcia is being held with bail set at $3 million. His next scheduled court date is a readiness conference Jan. 28.

In addition to charges stemming from the Nov. 25 shooting and robbery, Garcia is charged in a separate armed robbery that allegedly occurred a few weeks before Salguero’s slaying. In the earlier case, a victim’s wallet, cellphone and other belongings were taken at gunpoint, Hemming said.