An El Monte man pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of his boss at the Alhambra office of a Chinese-language newspaper earlier this month, authorities said.
Zhong Qi Chen, 59, is charged with the murder of 58-year-old Yining Xie, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a written statement.
The Nov. 16 shooting at the The China Press, 2121 W. Mission Blvd., resulted from “a dispute,” the statement said. Further details regarding the motive were not released.
In addition to murder, prosecutors also allege the special allegation of personally using a handgun, resulting in death, prosecutors said.
Chen entered the second-floor office of the newspaper about 9:30 a.m. and shot the victim, Alhambra Police Department Sgt. Steven Carr said. He was still at the scene when police arrived and he was taken into custody without a struggle.
No one else was injured in the shooting, officials said.
Bail has been set at $6 million, Los Angeles County booking records show. His next court hearing was scheduled for Dec. 18 in the Alhambra branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Chen faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.
