Man accused of killing 2 people at Fresno birthday party to face double murder trial
A Fresno man accused of fatally shooting two people at a birthday party in southeast Fresno last year will go to trial for murder, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.
Matthew Pless, 24, is accused of killing Felicia Becerra, 31, and Oudara Chounramany, 29, and the shooting of a 26-year-old man who survived.
At Pless’s preliminary hearing Wednesday, Fresno police detective Manuel Romero testified that several witnesses saw Pless shoot Becerra, Chounramany and the other victim on Jan. 31 inside a home in the 4600 block of East Lane Avenue.
Becerra was celebrating her birthday that night with about 20 people, including the defendant.
Romero testified that one of the witnesses told him that just prior to the shooting, there was a disturbance at the party. The witness said a man came in looking for the mother of their child. He demanded that she leave with him.
The witness said he grabbed the woman by one arm as her aunt grabbed her by the other arm, trying to prevent the man from taking her with him.
Another witness also identified Pless as the shooter. She told Romero that as the couple struggled in the kitchen and began heading to the living room, she saw Pless pull out a gun and fire several shots.
One of the party goers believe Pless was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was being “sloppy” with a handgun.
“He was pulling the gun out and at one point dropped it on the floor,” Romero said.
Prosecutor Amy Cobb asked the detective if that person also identified Pless as the shooter and she he replied, yes.
Pless’s defense attorney Curtis Sok argued that at least one of the witnesses providing conflicting versions of the shooting. He also described the confrontation between the man and his child’s mother as being more chaotic and violent than described by the detective.
He said the man grabbed the woman around the neck as he tried to get her to leave the party.
Judge Brian Alvarez ordered Pless held over for trial. He remains in the Fresno County Jail with no bail.
