Suspect in court for shooting that killed woman outside Merced party

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A preliminary proceeding started Monday for a antheral accused of sidesplitting an guiltless 20-year-old extracurricular a enactment successful Merced past year.

Jose Kevin Valencia-Zavala is charged with execution for shooting and sidesplitting 20-year-old Kaylie Lynn Allen successful April 2023.

Witnesses took the basal to picture the chaotic country extracurricular of a enactment adjacent Grogan and West Avenue wherever the shots rang out.

"It was a strictly over-18 event, and a young antheral tried to get into the event, and they refused him entry. He became upset and began trying to person a carnal combat with the bouncers they told him to leave. At which point, helium began to place himself arsenic a pack subordinate and insult the bouncer. He near into the parking batch and began shooting successful their direction," said Merced Police Officer Alejandro Arias.

Prosecutors accidental that antheral is Valencia-Zavala.

He sat successful tribunal successful a grey garment Monday, taking notes.

Officers besides described what the time was similar for Cheryl Dunigan, the victim's grandmother.

She dropped Allen and her fellow disconnected astatine the enactment soon earlier the gunfire.

"After she heard the tap, tap, tap. She got retired of the vehicle, and she saw Ms. Allen lying connected the crushed connected her stomach, truthful she went to wherever her granddaughter was," said Merced Police Officer Tyler Mccannon.

Dunigan was excessively distraught to talk with Action News Monday arsenic she near the courthouse successful tears.

She says it's similar reliving the time each implicit again.

Earlier this year, she told Action News astir the spread near successful her bosom since her granddaughter's death.

"He doesn't recognize the airy that helium conscionable extinguished. He doesn't recognize what helium took distant from truthful galore of us. She was everything to me," said Dunigan.

The preliminary proceeding is expected to proceed Tuesday.

Then, a justice volition determine if there's capable grounds for this lawsuit to spell to trial.

If convicted, Valencia-Zavala could look beingness successful prison.

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