Man accused of gunning down former Fresno High star athlete enters plea. Bail remains $6M
Joseph Ornelas, the 20-year-old Sanger man accused of murdering Lee Major III after a dispute at a party, pleaded not guilty Monday in Fresno Superior Court.
Ornelas is charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder. His bail remains at $6 million. Police say Ornelas is alleged to have shot Major, 20, and several others after he was asked to leave a party at a Fowler home on Dec. 15.
When Fowler police and Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home on the 200 block of East Adams Avenue they found several victims in their late teens and early 20s suffering from gunshot wounds.
Major, a young father and former star athlete at Fresno High School, died at a hospital. The other victims were treated and released.
Several members of the Ornelas family were present in court Monday, but declined to comment after the hearing.
The family has hired Franz Criego to represent Ornelas. A pre-preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 22 and preliminary hearing is expected on Jan. 27.
