Banning High Player Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Charge

Banning High senior Armando Velasquez, a starter on the Pilot baseball team, was released Thursday on a house-arrest agreement after spending two weeks in jail on suspicion of murder, police said.

Velasquez, 18, pleaded not guilty in Long Beach Superior Court’s juvenile division to charges that he shot and killed Martin Cuevas, 29, of Wilmington on Dec. 4. He was arrested April 21 after an investigation.

Velasquez is being prosecuted as a juvenile because the shooting occurred 30 minutes before his 18th birthday. But Deputy Dist. Atty. Bryant Bushling said the case could still be tried in adult court depending on the results of a fitness hearing set for May 27.

According to South Bureau Homicide Lt. Victor Guzman, a witness positively identified Velasquez as the person who fired the gun that killed Cuevas.

Hours after being released from jail Thursday, Velasquez watched from the bench as Banning beat Carson, 6-2, in a Pacific League baseball game.

Banning Coach Syl Saavedra said Velasquez, the team’s regular first baseman, could not play in the game because he had not attended school for at least four hours Thursday. Saavedra said Velasquez would remain on the team.

Saavedra said he was stunned by the arrest of Velasquez.

“He’s a good student and is scheduled to graduate,” Saavedra said.

Velasquez was released from custody on the condition that he remain home except to attend school and baseball games. He lives within a block of where Cuevas was killed.