Man Pleads Not Guilty to Newport Bridge Homicide

A man accused of shooting a woman in the face twice, and dumping her body near the Newport Bay Bridge on Labor Day pleaded not guilty Friday, the Orange County district attorney's office reported.

Irvin Tellez, 25, of Garden Grove faces one felony count of murder for the shooting death of 28-year-old Nancy Hammour. Tellez is also charged with a felony count of attempted murder for shooting another woman, Elizabeth G., in the face the same night as Hammour in Santa Ana.

Jaime Prieto Rocha, 40, Santa Ana, is also charged with one felony count of murder in the case of Nancy Hammour. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 25 for his arraignment, court records show.

Prosecutors said Rocha and Tellez were driving around a Santa Ana neighborhood around midnight on Sept. 2 with their friend, Hammour, in the backseat. When they came across Elizabeth G., 31, who was standing on a curb waiting for a friend to pick her up, Rocha pulled the car over, they began talking to Elizabeth G. and Tellez allegedly pulled out a gun and shot her in the face, according to the D.A.'s office.

After fleeing the scene, prosecutors said Tellez turned the gun on Hammour, shooting her twice in the face. Elizabeth G. survived her injuries, but Hammour did not. Prosecutors said Rocha and Tellez dumped Hammour's body near the Newport Bay Bridge off Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach.

After the shootings, Rocha drove toward Oceanside and called a tow truck company. Prosecutors said he was arrested shortly after by Oceanside police.

If convicted, Tellez faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in state prison. Rocha faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted.

Tellez and Rocha remain behind bars both on $1 million bail.

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