A California judge has released a second murder suspect without requiring any bail, drawing sharp criticism from prosecutors who say the decision put the public at risk.
According to Fox News, Judge Hector Ramon freed Agustin Sandoval on his own recognizance during a court hearing on Friday, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Sandoval is one of two men charged in a 2017 gang-related shooting that left 21-year-old Edu Veliz-Salgado dead and a 24-year-old man wounded in a Sunnyvale nightclub parking lot.
The case remained unsolved for years until 2024, when Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety detectives identified Sandoval and co-defendant Vicente Aguilera-Chavez as suspects. Prosecutors say Sandoval drove the vehicle from which shots were fired.
Despite the murder charge, Ramon ordered that Sandoval be released without posting bail — just as he did with Aguilera in an Oct. 31 hearing.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said the community is now left with two accused killers back on the streets.
“It was bad enough that an accused murderer with a violent past was let out of custody; now there are two. The odds of re-offense or fleeing from justice just doubled. People’s lives ride on those odds,” Rosen told Fox News.
Rosen said he was “shocked” by the judge’s initial decision involving Aguilera.
“This is an individual who not only committed a murder, who’s not only been to prison once, but has been to a prison twice, and is a documented gang member. This is a dangerous person,” Rosen said. “This person is absolutely a danger to our community.”
Rosen said the rulings fall far outside what he considers reasonable judicial discretion.
“I think that there’s a range in which judges can make decisions that are reasonable and reasonable people can disagree. The reason I’m speaking out about this case is this is not a reasonable decision. This is outside the bounds of what’s acceptable and it’s dangerous to the public,” he said.
Prosecutors attempted to persuade Judge Ramon to reverse his decision on Aguilera, but the court declined. In their filing, the district attorney’s office warned the judge was taking a “gamble” on public safety.
“The court is gambling he does not pose a risk to public safety because he has not been arrested for the last few years,” prosecutors argued. “The court should give equal weight to his criminal history … and the fact that he brazenly murdered a stranger in front of a crowd because the stranger was drunk and mouthing off.”
Defense attorneys for both men pushed back on those claims.
Deputy Alternate Defender Kristin Carter, who represents Sandoval, told the court her client “hasn’t committed a felony and hasn’t hurt anyone” since the 2017 shooting.
Jennifer Redding, Aguilera’s public defender, argued in her October motion that her client was not involved in the killing and has strong community ties.
“There is no evidence that Mr. Aguilera, especially with (supervised release) conditions, would present any risk of bodily harm to others,” Redding wrote. “Mr. Aguilera is motivated to clear his name. … There is no compelling interest in detaining Mr. Aguilera on public safety grounds or out of concern he is a flight risk.”
With both men now free pending trial, the case’s next steps will unfold under intense scrutiny from prosecutors and the community.
