Actor, Johnny Ortiz has been charged with attempted murder over ‘premeditated street gang hit’
The star, who has appeared alongside Kevin Costner in 2015 movie McFarland USA and starred alongside Will Smith and Jamie Foxx in 2001 film Ali, is currently sitting behind bars after being charged with premeditated attempted murder charges.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke.
The documents say the alleged attempted murder was ‘for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members.’
Ortiz was arrested in late May and remains behind bars. His bail is currently set at $1,120,000.
The publication also said Navarro is the one accused of pulling the trigger, and while it’s unclear exactly what role Ortiz played in the crime which warranted the attempted murder charge.
Ortiz has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to attend a preliminary hearing later today.
His family is trying to raise his bail through crowdfunding and they believe he is innocent in the case.
They wrote on the site, “Johnny is everything to our family. Johnny does everything to help the community and the Hispanic community especially … he is in jail fighting for his case that he is innocent on.”
Ortiz most recently starred in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie released last year.
