Raisin City man pleads not guilty to deadly drill dispute that left neighbor dead

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a drill quality that turned deadly. Martin Avalos is accused of sidesplitting Jose Mario Calderon.

"Martin borrowed immoderate tools," the man's household subordinate told Action News. "When Martin tried to springiness them backmost to Mario, Mario starts saying, 'I privation them new.'"

As Avalos' loved 1 tells the story, the tools were utilized and ne'er new.

But arsenic Calderon's sister tells it, Avalos ne'er wanted to springiness them back.

The tiny obstruction betwixt their Raisin City homes was nary use.

"Mario would commencement threatening Martin with his son, that helium was going to termination his son," Avalos' household subordinate said. "He would spell sound connected Raul's, Martin's son, model successful the mediate of the night."

Prosecutors accidental the quality turned deadly connected April 4. They charged Avalos with murder.

He pleaded not blameworthy connected Thursday.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man charged with execution aft neighbour changeable to decease successful Raisin City, officials say

Like the quality implicit the drill, determination is present part implicit what happened.

"It's not right. I don't agree, but erstwhile it's astir our kids -- threatening to termination your kids, it's hard," Avalos' household subordinate said. "It's hard."

Avalos' loved 1 suggested the antheral was acting successful self-defense.

"It's not self-defense. That's a lie," the victim's sister, Leticia Rodriguez, said.

The drill quality could present instrumentality halfway signifier successful court, wherever Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi says self-defense is the astir apt argument.

"At the clip of trial, the territory lawyer is going to person to beryllium beyond a tenable uncertainty that the execution happened, and the territory lawyer is going to person to beryllium it was not self-defense," Capozzi said.

It could beryllium months until this lawsuit goes to trial.

Avalos remains astatine the Fresno County Jail connected a $1.5 cardinal bail.

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