Former Marine pleads not guilty to killing 6, including homeless

Former Marine Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, of Yorba Linda at his arraignment last month in Orange County Central jail, with Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas. (Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times)

A man accused of killing six people — four homeless men and a mother and her son — pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Santa Ana courtroom.

Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, wearing orange jail scrubs, appeared to be distraught in court and sometimes mumbled to himself. He is charged with six felony counts of murder with special circumstances for lying in wait and multiple murders. Ocampo’s attorney, Randall Longwith, would not say if the plea would change to a potential insanity plea. He said he was still having trouble communicating with his client.

“It’s tough,” he said. “I need to see the facts of the case and decide at what point his mental health affects the plea.”

– Nicole Santa Cruz in Santa Ana, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Former Marine pleads not guilty to killing 6, including homeless