A judicial decision in California has stirred controversy as a judge released a murder suspect, who is also an alleged gang member, without requiring bail.
In January, authorities apprehended Vicente Aguilera-Chavez and Agustin Sandoval in connection to a violent incident that occurred on June 8, 2017. This incident involved a shooting in a Sunnyvale nightclub parking lot, resulting in the death of 21-year-old Edu Veliz-Salgado and injuring a 24-year-old, as reported by KTVU.
Aguilera faced murder charges linked to this gang-related shooting, as detailed by the Mercury News. Both Aguilera and Sandoval faced charges for the tragic death of Veliz-Salgado. The case, which had stalled for several years, was revived in 2024 after detectives from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety identified the suspects.
During a court hearing on October 31, Judge Hector Ramon made the contentious decision to release Aguilera on his own recognizance, meaning he was not required to pay bail, as covered by NBC Bay Area. Notably, Aguilera had previously served a prison sentence in 2022 related to a burglary conviction.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen expressed his alarm over the ruling, telling NBC Bay Area that he is “very concerned for the safety of our community” and “shocked” given Aguilera’s status as a confirmed gang member.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told NBC Bay Area he’s “very concerned for the safety of our community” and “shocked” as Aguilera is a certified gang member.
“This is a case where somebody charged with first-degree murder, with a gun, for the benefit of a criminal street gang, who had strike offenses before this murder and strike offenses after the murder, and was sent to prison on other charges before the murder,” he added.
The district attorney’s office filed a motion asking Ramon to reconsider his decision to release Aguilera, stating that he’s “gambling” that the suspect doesn’t pose a risk to the community.
21-year-old Edu Veliz-Salgado was shot and killed in 2017, officials said. (Facebook/Berenice Salgado)
“The court is gambling he does not pose a risk to public safety because he has not been arrested for the last few years,” the motion stated. “The court should give equal weight to his criminal history … and the fact that he brazenly murdered a stranger in front of a crowd because the stranger was drunk and mouthing off.”
Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Redding, Aguilera’s defense attorney, filed the motion seeking his release from pre-trial custody in October and claimed that her client wasn’t involved in the shooting and has strong ties to the community.
“There is no evidence that Mr. Aguilera, especially with (supervised release) conditions, would present any risk of bodily harm to others,” Redding wrote. “Mr. Aguilera is motivated to clear his name. … There is no compelling interest in detaining Mr. Aguilera on public safety grounds or out of concern he is a flight risk.”
Aerial shot of residential streets in Sunnyvale, California on a sunny day in spring. Sunnyvale lies between San Jose and Cupertino in Santa Clara County and is part of Silicon Valley. (Getty Images)
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Lt. Devon Klein also voiced his disagreement to the local NBC outlet, saying that the judge has a history of releasing repeat offenders back into the streets.
“Not only are they repeat offenders, but Judge Ramon is a repeat offender,” Klein said. “He has a pattern of releasing repeat offenders back into our communities.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Redding for comment.
The court declined to comment on behalf of Ramon.
