The man accused in the shooting death of an El Camino Real High School soccer player pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a murder charge.
Jason Alejandro Schumann, 24, is accused of shooting 17-year-old Francisco "Pancho'' Rodriguez Jan. 11 in front of the Rodriguez family's Winnetka home. The teenager had just returned from a soccer game when a girl knocked on the front door of the home.
Rodriguez was shot and killed when he went outside.
Schumann's 19-year-old girlfriend also is considered a suspect in the Rodriguez slaying. Elizabeth Ibarra has not been charged in the case, but she and Schumann are both charged in an unrelated armed robbery case.
Authorities have said they do not believe the slaying was gang-related. The killing was described by authorities as "personally motivated," but have declined to comment on reports that the shooting was the result of a love triangle.
Late last month, volunteers and police searched a landfill for the weapon used in the shooting. The search failed to turn up the gun, but the police lieutenant in charge of the case said authorities still "have a strong case."
"At some point at trial, they might ask why didn’t you look for the gun," said Lt. Dave Storaker. "This is part of that effort."
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