Fresno man takes deal for 2024 shooting as alleged co-defendants continue fighting

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A one-time accused killer, Nathen Rodriguez, volition walk 7 years and 4 months successful transportation with the decease of Sylvester Choi.

"The tribunal volition judge the plea agreement," the justice said connected Thursday.

With Rodriguez's lawsuit closed, Donte Harmon and Maurice Fields proceed to combat disconnected execution charges successful a abstracted hearing.

Prosecutors judge the men acted unneurotic successful a Central Fresno shooting past September. Investigators accidental surveillance video purportedly shows immoderate of the suspects moving from the scene.

"Those 3 radical backmost successful the car they came in, and helium (Rodriguez) conscionable followed them intimately again backmost to the Marks and Shaw area," Defense lawyer Jane Boulger said.

She claims Rodriguez simply drove down the alleged shooters.

"People tin say, 'Well, helium was a lookout. He was this,' and possibly person antithetic theories, but thing tin beryllium truly proven," Boulger said.

Rodriguez reached an statement soon earlier prosecutors prepared to uncover their grounds earlier this summer.

They dropped the astir superior charges by moving to disregard 1 number of execution and 2 counts of attempted murder. In turn, Rodriguez entered a no-contest plea to the lesser complaint of battle with a firearm.

"It was based connected immoderate evidentiary reasons," authoritative Kendall Reynolds said. "Issues that, astatine slightest from the people's perspective, were lacking by mode of moving guardant towards a assemblage trial."

Rodriguez sat softly arsenic the justice accepted the terms.

The victim's parent raised concerns astir the condemnation successful a missive to the court, but Reynolds confirms helium spoke with her and believes it is "the close result astatine this time."

"Certainly, it's not capable due to the fact that she mislaid her child, but she understands the reasons for the result successful this lawsuit arsenic it relates to Mr. Rodriguez only," Reynolds said.

The preliminary proceeding for the different 2 men charged successful transportation with the victim's decease volition resume adjacent month, erstwhile a justice volition determine whether prosecutors person capable grounds to instrumentality them to trial.

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