Community Corner
Second Trial Set for Accused Hit Man
Antonio Ortega goes to court April 23 on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy. His alleged co-conspirators, Mary Sharpski and Michael Shores of Fountain Valley, will be tried separately.
A second jury trial for accused hit man has been tentatively set for April 23 in Santa Ana Superior Court. His alleged partners in crime, Mary Sharpski and Michael Shores of Fountain Valley, will be tried separately, according to prosecutor Lynda Fernandez. A pretrial hearing was held Monday.
The first trial resulted in a mistrial on May 26, when the jury was unable to reach a verdict, voting 9-3 to convict Ortega, 6-6 on Shores and 7-5 to acquit Sharpski.
Ortega, 25, of Santa Ana, along with Sharpski, 48, and Shores, 40, is charged with plotting to kill Frank Sharpski in March 2009.
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As part of the alleged conspiracy, Ortega is accused of attacking Sharpski with a machete in an alley outside the couple’s home and leaving him to die on the morning of March 3, 2009, fracturing his skull, severing a thumb and fingers, partly severing his nose and causing several other machete wounds.
A new trial date for Mary Sharpski and Shores will be determined March 2 in a pretrial hearing, Fernandez said.
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“We decided to try them (Ortega and Sharpski/Shores) separately after the hung jury,” she said. “There was certain evidence I couldn’t introduce at the time of the first trial. We are going to try Mr. Ortega first, with the other two trailing after that.”
Fernandez currently is on another trial. Both the prosecutor and defense attorneys then have 10 calendar days from April 23 to begin the second trial of Ortega.
