Two 20-year-old men were charged Thursday in the shooting death of a Lynwood resident in Torrance last weekend.
Freddie Moran, of Wilmington, and Cristian Contreras, of Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty to a murder charge stemming from the May 10 killing of Daniel Armendariz.
The charge includes allegations that Moran personally used a handgun, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers responded to a report of shots fired near Carson Street and Cabrillo Avenue about 10:15 p.m. Sunday and found the 44-year-old victim with a gunshot wound. He died at a hospital.
Detectives believe the defendants — who were arrested Tuesday — had a “verbal altercation” with Armendariz — the nature of which was not disclosed — before shots were fired, according to a Torrance police statement.