CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Not-Guilty Plea in San Diego Killings

A laid-off employee of the Elgar Corp. has pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed two executives during a shooting rampage at the electronics firm. Larry T. Hansel, 41, showed no emotion when Municipal Judge Larry Stirling asked how he pleaded to the charges against him. He answered “not guilty” in a barely audible voice. Stirling ordered Hansel held without bail. San Diego police homicide detectives have said that Hansel confessed freely to the shootings and has been cooperative during their interrogations of him. Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregg McClain said that Hansel was being held on charges of murder, detonating incendiary devices and burglary. The burglary charge stems from Hansel’s unlawful entry into the Elgar plant with intent to commit murder, McClain said. He added that the double homicide qualifies Hansel for the death penalty. But the prosecutor said that Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller has not decided whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Hansel.