Man pleads not guilty to fatally shooting fellow Long Beach partygoer
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A suspected gang member pleaded not guilty to shooting a man to death in Long Beach, authorities said.
Thearath Sam, 26, of Pomona, is accused of shooting and killing Sambo Chhoy, 33 — also a suspected gang member — on Jan. 20 after they allegedly got into an argument at a party in Long Beach and were told to leave, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors say Sam followed Chhoy for two blocks before allegedly shooting him near the intersection of New York Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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Although Chhoy was also a suspected gang member, police do not believe gang rivalry prompted the killing.
After Long Beach police arrested Sam in February, he was charged with murder and illegally possessing a firearm. His bail has been set at $2 million. If convicted, he faces up to 54 years and eight months in state prison.
Chhoy’s death in January marked Long Beach’s first murder of 2014.
Twitter: @frankshyong
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