Two teenagers pleaded not guilty to the killing of a 68-year-old homeless woman.
Annette Pershal was found unconscious on May 8, a day after the San Diego District Attorney's Office says she was shot with a pellet gun with metal bullets. She died several days later.
William Innes, 18, and Ryan Hopkins, 19, were arraigned in court Monday.
During the hearing, San Diego Deputy District Attorney Roza Egiazarian said Innes sent a group chat message about going "hobo hunting" just minutes before the shooting.
The DA's office says Hopkins drove Innes to the area where Pershal was located. Innes is accused of firing multiple shots, hitting her in the forehead and torso.
Innes has been hit with multiple charges, including murder, while Hopkins is charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Both men pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, but both were denied bond.
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Hopkins' attorney, Vikas Bajaj, says his client is innocent of the charges, and claims that information he's gathered thus far shows that the message Innes sent came 12 hours after the shooting.
Meanwhile, a memorial has been erected in memory of Pershal, who some in the community called "Granny Annie."
"That's what she wanted to be called," Pershal's daughter Brandy Nazworth told Scripps News San Diego.
According to Nazworth, Pershal had been homeless since 2017. Pershal had previously sought housing assistance but struggled to find places that were suitable because she used a walker.
"She wouldn't bother anybody," Nazworth said. "She loved the neighborhood and I know she loved the community."
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