A judge in California has ordered the release of two men accused in a fatal 2017 shooting, without requiring a single dollar in bail. The decision has sparked alarm from the Jeff Rosen, the District Attorney of Santa Clara County, who warns that the move endangers public safety and undermines efforts to hold violent offenders accountable.
Subhead 1: Alleged Gang-Linked Murder and Arrest Timeline
The two suspects — Agustin Sandoval and Vicente Aguilera‑Chavez — were charged for a 2017 gang-related shooting in the parking lot of a nightclub in Sunnyvale that left one man dead and another injured. The case remained unsolved for several years until detectives resumed investigative work in 2024, ultimately identifying and charging the suspects. Judge Hector Ramon ordered Aguilera-Chavez freed on October 31 and followed with Sandoval’s release “on his own recognizance” during a hearing the following week.
Subhead 2: DA Expresses Alarm Over Public Safety and Repeat Risk
District Attorney Jeff Rosen sharply criticized the decision, stating that both men have violent histories and gang affiliations, and their release without bail is “dangerous” for the community.“It was bad enough that one accused murderer was let out—now there are two. The odds of re-offense or flight just doubled. People’s lives ride on those odds,” Rosen declared. His office attempted to seek reversal of the release orders but was unsuccessful.
Subhead 3: Defence Arguments and Broader Legal Implications
Defense lawyers for Sandoval and Aguilera-Chavez argued that neither has committed a felony since the 2017 incident and both maintain strong community ties. They emphasized that supervised release conditions can sufficiently mitigate risk. Meanwhile, the case spotlights broader questions around bail, pre-trial release and balancing community safety with defendants’ rights—a debate especially fraught in states like California where bail reforms have been under scrutiny.
