SAN FERNANDO : Mental Tests Slated for Man in Killing
A judge on Monday ordered a psychiatric evaluation for a Long Beach teen-ager who pleaded no contest to charges he shot two hearing-impaired brothers, killing one of them, in a Granada Hills traffic dispute.
San Fernando Superior Court Judge Howard J. Schwab also set an Oct. 7 sentencing date for Joey Paul Bellinger, 19, on charges of voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm.
At the time of Bellinger’s plea, the equivalent of a guilty plea for criminal court purposes, Schwab indicated he probably would sentence him to 12 years in prison. However, the judge said that depending on the outcome of Bellinger’s mental evaluation, he might recommend that the former Fairfax High School student be allowed to serve his time in a California Youth Authority facility.
Police say Bellinger shot to death Cesar Vieira, 30, and wounded his brother, Edward Vieira, then 25, after the two Palmdale brothers exchanged angry gestures with occupants of Bellinger’s car in January, 1990.
Bellinger originally was charged with murder and attempted murder, but prosecutors said they agreed to allow him to plead to reduced charges because they were unable to reach some witnesses, making it difficult to pursue a murder conviction.
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