A San Gabriel Valley man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murdering a Chinese national whose decomposing body was found in a car trunk in Monterey Park two months ago.
Andy Yalau Chen, 37, is charged in the shooting death of Min Gu, 30, who was discovered dead March 21 after a Monterey Park resident reported a foul odor coming from a vehicle parked near her home.
Police found the car unlocked when they arrived in the 200 block of South Lincoln Avenue and discovered Gu’s body when an officer opened the trunk, according to Deputy District Attorney Theodore Swanson.
Authorities determined that Chen had been one of the last people in contact with Gu while he was still alive, and obtained a warrant to search Chen’s home, the prosecutor said.
When authorities went to the home, it appeared that Gu may have been killed there, according to Swanson.
“Detectives believe the motive for the murder was a financial dispute,” Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Rouzan said a day after Chen’s April 4 arrest.
Along with the murder count, Chen is charged with one count of cultivating marijuana inside his home.
He is due back in an Alhambra courtroom July 8, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.
Chen could face up to 53 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
— City News Service