Man Accused of Officer’s Killing Pleads Not Guilty
The man charged with killing a Burbank police officer pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder, according to the Los Angeles district attorney’s office.
David Garcia, 19, entered a plea in a Pasadena courthouse and was ordered to return to court Jan. 28 to set a date for his preliminary hearing. Garcia is accused of killing Officer Matthew Pavelka on Nov. 15 after a shootout in a hotel parking lot near Bob Hope Airport. Garcia also pleaded not guilty to trying to murder Pavelka’s partner, Greg Campbell.
He could face the death penalty if convicted, though the district attorney’s office has not decided what punishment to seek.
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