A Los Angeles man pleaded not guilty Monday to fatally stabbing a gas station convenience store clerk in Maywood and injuring another employee who tried to come to her aid.
Kevin Steve Gomez, 25, could face a potential life prison term if convicted of one count each of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, along with an allegation that he used a knife in the June 24 killing of Nelly Baez, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Gomez, described by authorities as a transient, has remained behind bars in lieu of $2.03 million bail since his arrest. He was ordered to return to court Aug. 21, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.
Gomez allegedly lunged at the 26-year-old clerk soon after entering the ARCO am/pm in the 4700 block of Slauson Avenue and stabbed her multiple times about 5:30 a.m. on June 24. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gomez also allegedly stabbed another employee who attempted to stop the attack. A vendor and a customer stepped in and held Gomez down until police arrived, prosecutors said.
A GoFundMe page set up for the victim’s family had raised just over $7,700 as of Monday afternoon.
The homicide was the first in 2020 in Maywood, which had one homicide in 2019, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau told City News Service.