2 in Mall Slaying Will Be Tried on Murder Charges : Courts: Judge rules that enough evidence exists for men linked to drive-by slaying of youth at Fallbrook Mall to be arraigned.

A Municipal Court judge ruled Tuesday that two men charged with killing a Van Nuys youth in a June drive-by shooting at the Fallbrook Mall in West Hills should stand trial for murder and attempted murder.

Judge Leslie A. Dunn concluded that enough evidence was presented during a two-day preliminary hearing to merit the arraignment in Superior Court of defendants Tommy Lee Williams and Elliott O’Neal Singletary, both 19.

Williams, the alleged gunman in the June 9 shooting, was ordered held on $3.15-million bail. Singletary, an alleged accomplice who was riding in a car with Williams and four teen-age girls, was ordered held on $3.1-million bail.

Dunn scheduled the arraignment for Nov. 28.

The hearing featured testimony by several youths who were present when 16-year-old Ramtin Shaolian was fatally shot and another youth wounded by 8 to 10 gunshots allegedly fired from a passing car carrying Williams, Singletary and the girls.

Williams, nicknamed “Ace Capone,” and Singletary, known as “Chocolate,” are each charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and four counts of attempted murder.

Two girls who were in the car at the time of the shooting testified Tuesday after being granted immunity from prosecution. Both said they saw Williams holding a gun out the window of the car and heard gunshots.

“I saw him holding the gun,” said one girl.

Both girls said the group drove away to a Van Nuys apartment where Williams said he had to wash gunpowder off his hands.

Authorities and witnesses said Williams was sitting in the back seat of a Ford Escort when he fired the shots from a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol.

Shaolian, a student at Taft High School, and his friends had just left a movie theater at the mall when they became involved in a brief verbal confrontation with Singletary. The shooting occurred a short time later.

One of the four girls still faces murder, attempted murder and conspiracy charges because she was allegedly driving the car at the time of the shooting. It remains to be determined whether she will be tried as a juvenile or an adult.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Laura Baird said two of the other girls received immunity from prosecution in return for their testimony. No charges were brought against the fourth girl, although she apparently pointed out one or more of the youths who were eventually shot at, Baird said.

Witnesses who testified at the preliminary hearing said that about half a dozen friends, including Shaolian, went to the mall that night to see the movie “Congo.”

About 20 minutes after the movie started, some in the group could not show theater workers ticket stubs, to prove they had purchased tickets to that film, and were asked to leave. Those with tickets left as well.

Outside, the group of friends walked toward a mall area where there was a phone. Singletary allegedly was at the phone and asked the other youths if they belonged to a gang.

Hesam Hadaegh, one of the youths who was there that night, testified that Shaolian firmly responded to Singletary, saying something like: “Does it look like we’re gangbangers?”

The group moved on, making their way along a sidewalk alongside the parking lot.

A short time later, the friends saw a white Escort--the same car they noticed earlier with Williams sitting inside--circling the lot.

The car came up behind the group with its lights off. Williams allegedly pointed the gun out the window and shouted: “You’re not gangbangers, huh? Well, you’re gangbangers now!”

Gunshots “were coming from the back seat,” Hadaegh said in court. “I saw a gun blasting.

“I believe it was him,” he said, pointing to Williams.