FRESNO, Calif. – The 16-year-olds accused in the murder of 18-year-old Caleb Quick made separate court appearances Wednesday, where an attorney for one of the teenaged suspects already began a defense.
Quick was shot and killed shortly before 9 p.m. on April 23 outside a Clovis McDonald’s. Surveillance footage appears to show a male suspect dressed in all black following Quick inside the restaurant shortly before his death, and police later said a female drove a white Tesla in the area where the male suspect fled.
The two suspects were identified in the court as Cassandra Michael and Byron Rangel. They and Quick were all Clovis Unified School District students.
The judge ordered Michael and Rangel remain in custody after Wednesday's hearings.
Although their attorneys requested their identities not be shared due to their age, Fresno County Superior Court Judge Amythest Freeman of the Juvenile Justice Division said their identities are a matter of public importance. KVPR is also naming the teen suspects due to the significant public interest in the crimes that are alleged.
Members of the media were not allowed to take photographs, video or audio recordings inside the courtroom.
Meanwhile, spectators were silent as the suspects entered the room. Neither spoke, but both nodded to the judge to acknowledge they heard when she spoke to them. Michael’s mother sobbed when her daughter was escorted out of the room.
Clovis Police arrested Michael and Rangel late last week in connection with the murder. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office formally charged them with first degree murder with special enhancements on Tuesday. Their hearings on Wednesday were continued until next month, when they’re expected to enter pleas.
Attorney Jeff Hammerschmidt, representing Michael, says he intends to deny the charges when the case resumes next month. He said Michael was dating Rangel and would regularly drive him.
“He was her boyfriend and he didn’t have a car, and it was not unusual for him to be driven by her,” he said. However, he added, “there's nothing in the discovery that suggests that Cassandra [Michael] knew anything about a firearm.”
He also said her record was clean and untarnished up until the murder charges.
“There's nothing in her past that suggests that she would intentionally be part of a murder that involved a firearm and a killing in open public,” he said.
KVPR was not able to speak to attorneys representing Rangel.
If found guilty of their current charges in juvenile court, the two suspects could face prison sentences of up to seven years, or until they turn 25. However, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said it intends to petition to try the suspects as adults – a decision that may not be resolved for many months to come. That could also lead to larger sentences.
Rangel and Michael’s next hearings have been scheduled for June 4 and 18, respectively.
