A 31-year-old man was acquitted Thursday of shooting a man in the face in Anaheim nearly six years ago.
Angel Avalos was acquitted of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm, both felonies. He was also facing sentencing enhancements for attempted premeditated murder.
Avalos has been in custody since December 2020.
The apartment the shooting occurred in was a drug hangout and accounts of what happened in the room varied, Avalos’ attorney Jacqueline Goodman said.
Goodman argued in the case that prosecutors could not prove who fired the gun or shot the victim. Two guns were fired, but one of them was never recovered, the defense attorney said.
An expert testified in the trial about the effects of methamphetamine on behavior, Goodman said.
Avalos and victim Evaristo had gone to school together and were friendly acquaintances.
Police were called about 1 a.m. Dec. 11, 2020, to 1811 W. Gramercy Ave., where officers found Carachure, who sustained a gunshot wound to the face, police said.
Avalos barricaded himself nearby in an apartment for about four hours before jumping out a second-story window when police gassed the room, police said. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition but managed to survive.
Jurors reached a verdict after about a day of deliberations on Tuesday, but the verdicts were announced Wednesday.
“Today, a jury acquitted Angel Avalos of every charge against him,” Goodman said. “He faced the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. Instead, he walks out of that jail a free man. It’s a powerful reminder of why the right to trial is so fundamental, and why it must always be protected.”