A Bonita man accused of murdering a 17-year-old Palomar High School student in 2006 has a June 7 preliminary hearing set.
William Thomas Mace, 25, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jose Anthony Roman Jr., which occurred on Oct. 12, 2006. Mace and two others were arrested in November 2009, but the two other men were later released without murder charges being filed, according to prosecutors. The shooting took place on state Route 54 near the Fourth Avenue exit in Chula Vista.
Mace or others in the car with him made some type of hand gestures to either Roman or passengers in his car before someone with a gun fired several shots. Deputy District Attorney Janice De Leon said she could not say whether Mace was the gunman, driver or passenger in the other car, saying that is not yet public record. De Leon said Mace’s role will come out in the preliminary hearing. On May 20, Mace appeared before Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Esteban Hernandez, who confirmed the June 7 hearing date. He remains in the South Bay Detention Facility without bail.
