Two alleged gang rivals charged with the murder of a 3-year-old boy in a Compton liquor store parking lot shootout are both being held in lieu of $3.1 million bail.
Dwayne Christopher Ward, 30, and Kevaughn Harris, 27, are also facing one count each of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and possession of a firearm by a felon in the death of toddler Franklin Ponros.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday and are scheduled to return to the Compton courthouse on April 20, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
If convicted as charged, Ward and Harris face possible life in prison.
Prosecutors allege that on the evening of Jan. 20, Harris was walking toward a car parked in the lot in the 2800 block of West Alondra Boulevard when he and Ward, who was sitting in another vehicle, got into some kind of verbal dispute. Both men allegedly pulled out handguns and opened fire.
Harris’ girlfriend and her 3-year-old son Franklin were sitting in the parked car Harris was approaching and the toddler was fatally shot in the exchange of bullets. His mother was not injured, according to authorities.
Surveillance video showed the shooting and both cars driving off. Deputies responded to an address about a mile away, where the mother apparently went to seek help. They took the boy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Harris was arrested the next day and Ward surrendered to police two days after the shooting.
Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope, told NBC4 that Ward called him to say the shooting was in self-defense and Ward wasn’t aware there was a child in the car.
