Attorney says sexual assault on video a factor in killing of Caleb Quick in Clovis
The defense attorney for the 16-year-old accused of shooting Caleb Quick in the head outside a McDonald’s in Clovis revealed details in court Wednesday related to a possible motive involving sexual assault.
Byron Rangel faces a murder charge and an enhancement for allegedly lying in wait before fatally shooting the 18-year-old Quick on April 23.
Rangel’s attorneys on Wednesday entered a denial of charges, the juvenile court equivalent of a “not guilty” plea.
A Clovis police report on the slaying says Rangel was motivated to shoot Quick because the 18-year-old had recorded himself sexually assaulting an unconscious teenage girl, according to Mark Coleman, one of Rangel’s attorneys.
The sexual assault allegation added a new wrinkle to a case in which few details have been made public. The Fresno Bee has not seen the police report because the shooting is still under investigation and has not been released to the public, according to police.
“We’re dealing with the allegation against a 16-year-old. Their brains are not fully formed,” Coleman said. “Sometimes a reaction is spontaneous, sometimes a reaction is ill considered. It’s rash, and given the provocation, it puts this alleged act in a completely different way.”
Coleman made the argument in court on Wednesday about the potential motive before Judge David C. Kalemkarian as he sought Rangel’s release to his family until trial. He argued that because Rangel had not been in any other trouble, he did not pose a threat to anyone else, Coleman said.
“This is a case of extreme provocation and is not likely to reoccur,” Coleman said in the courtroom.
The prosecuting attorney, Kendall Reynolds, argued that Rangel is accused of firing a weapon in a “public execution” while others were around and remains a potential threat to the public.
The judge denied the request for Rangel’s release to his family.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment to The Bee through a spokesperson about the sexual assault allegations.
Outside the courtroom, Coleman, the defense attorney, addressed the accusations against Quick, saying that the shooting and accusations against Rangel needed more context to be fully understood.
“It didn’t just happen because there was a beef over a hamburger or money owed. The allegations by the police is that this occurred as a result of a sexual assault against a number of girls by this victim,” Coleman said. “I am not in any way suggesting that that’s appropriate, but that’s the allegations of the police.”
Coleman said the video of the alleged assault had been found by Clovis police. He said it depicted a girl unrelated to the homicide case, and confirmed the girl was not the 16-year-old defendant accused of being the getaway driver.
The date of the alleged assault and other details were not immediately public.
The district attorney’s office has requested the court allow Rangel and Casandra Michael, who was accused of being the getaway driver, to be tried as adults. Under California law, a judge must make that determination. That decision might not come for many months or more than a year.
The defense attorneys for each of the 16-year-old defendants have said they will contest the DA’s request.
The juvenile court system focuses on rehabilitation over punishment, which requires significant efforts to assess the teen for their ability to be reformed. It also comes with significantly shorter sentencing.
If convicted as an adult, Rangel would potentially be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. As a juvenile, he would face up to seven years of confinement or up until he turns 25.
Juvenile cases are much more restricted than adult cases. A judge last month made an uncommon determination in allowing Rangel and Michael to be named publicly in court.
Michael faces a murder charge and an enhancement as a co-participant in a crime involving a gun..
The judge ordered Rangel to remain under the supervision of probation to begin psychiatric and other extensive assessments that are typical of a juvenile court case.
He was allowed a phone call to his mother following the hearing on Wednesday. The judge also granted his attorneys’ request to allow his 8-month-old twin sisters to visit him in custody assuming they follow the routine screening process.
The killing of Caleb Quick
Rangel was accused of lying in wait about 9 p.m. April 23 before fatally shooting Quick outside of a McDonald’s near Willow and Nees avenues. Police arrived to find Quick, who died at a hospital.
Quick was once a Buchanan High student and had more recently attended Clovis Online School, which is not connected to any specific Clovis school campus. The McDonald’s was known as a popular hangout for young people, according to police.
Investigators had previously confirmed the teens in the case all knew each other. Rangel and Michael were dating.
The two 16-year-olds turned themselves into Clovis police on May 10, more than two weeks after Quick was killed. They’ve been in custody since.
Rangel’s next hearing is July 8. Michael’s is June 18.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 4:54 PM.
