No bail for 23-year-old accused in fatal shooting of teen at a Chula Vista park

A 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a teenager at a Chula Vista park earlier this year must remain jailed without bail, a Chula Vista judge ruled Friday morning as more details in the case were revealed.

Deonte Imani Martinez pleaded not guilty Friday to murder in the death of Caleb Beasley, who a prosecutor said was shot 10 times in the evening encounter, March 11 at Sunset Park, in the city’s Eastlake area.

According to Chula Vista police, the teen victim — identified in court documents as Beasley — was at the park with friends when a fight broke out with another group.

Police said two people in the other group — Martinez and a 16-year-old boy — each pulled out a gun and shot Beasley. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he died.

About two weeks later, police arrested both the 16-year-old and a second person, 18-year-old Larry Duanne Bradford III, in Spring Valley.

Bradford, who is Martinez’s brother, is accused of driving both Martinez and the 16-year-old away after the fatal shooting. Bradford pleaded not guilty earlier this week to a charge of being an accessory after the fact.

The 16-year-old has been charged in Juvenile Court with murder. Police did not release his name because he is a minor.

Martinez was in court Friday to be arraigned on an amended complaint, and also to ask the judge to set bail.

In court, Deputy District Attorney Cherie Somerville said six shell casings at the Chula Vista homicide scene came from a gun that had been stolen from an Escondido home.

In deciding to keep Martinez jailed without bail, Judge Timothy Walsh noted “at least three incidences involving gunfire” that the prosecutor said Martinez was linked to.

First was a shooting at a motel Oct. 13. Somerville said Martinez got into a fight at the motel, and Bradford shot the other combatant in the thigh. She said Martinez drove Bradford away from the scene.

Second was a January incident which Escondido police impounded Martinez’s Honda Accord, which was found with bullet holes in the passenger’s side and a loaded ghost gun tucked under a seat. So-called ghost guns, which can be assembled from kits, often don’t have serial numbers and are untraceable.

Also inside the Accord were two bullet casings that matched casings from one of the guns that would later be used at the fatal Chula Vista shooting. That gun has not been found.

The fatal shooting is the third incident the judge pointed to in deciding to keep Martinez in jail.

Martinez’s defense attorney, Brian Watkins, said his client is not accused as the gunman in the October incident, and that bullet holes found in the Accord in January indicate he was the victim of a shooting, not the shooter.

He also noted that his client was out of state when he learned police were looking for him, but returned to California and turned himself in.

City News Service contributed to this report.