Third Suspect in Slaying Pleads Not Guilty
A third suspect in the March slaying of Yorba Linda teenager Chad MacDonald pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday after his weekend arrest.
Jose Alfredo Ibarra, 19, of Norwalk, was being held without bail after entering his plea in a Los Angeles court.
Meanwhile, an attorney for MacDonald’s mother, Cindy, said she planned to file a legal claim against the Brea Police Department, for whom MacDonald had worked as an informant. A legal claim is a precursor to a civil lawsuit.
“I have begged the Brea police to sit down and talk about what happened, but they refuse,” said attorney Lloyd Charton, who represents the family of MacDonald, who was 17. “It appears that a search for the truth can only occur through formal discovery after the filing of a claim.”
Brea Police Chief William Lentini did not return phone calls seeking comment Monday.
The city of Brea will have 30 days to respond once the claim is filed, Charton said. If the claim is denied, Charton said he will file a lawsuit against the Brea police.
The body of MacDonald, who had worked as an informant after his arrest on methamphetamine possession charges, was found in a South Los Angeles alley March 3, the same day his 16-year-old girlfriend was found in Angeles National Forest after being raped and shot in the jaw. She survived.
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