Second defendant pleads not guilty in shooting death of Venice man

A 28-year-old man alleged to be the shooter in the killing of a homeless man outside a Venice hotel has been charged with murder, authorities said.

Francisco Guzman, a Latino, pleaded not guilty Oct. 7 to one count of murder,  one count of attempted murder and a count of possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Guzman joins Sris Sinnathamby, 54, a hotelier, who has also been charged in the shooting death of Jascent-Jamal Lee Warren, 26. Both Sinnathamby and Guzman have pleaded not guilty.

Police said Sinnathamby got into a dispute with a group of homeless people camped around his hotel, located near Ocean Front Walk and Dudley Avenue.

The dispute escalated within minutes and police said that Guzman shot into a crowd of homeless people, injuring Warren and a man in his 40s.

Guzman was taken into custody Oct. 5 about 9:55 a.m. by the FBI-LAPD Fugitive Task Force.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.