Suspect in Modesto bar shooting arraigned on murder charge
The man charged with fatally shooting a 22-year-old man outside a Modesto bar earlier this month pleaded not guilty in Stanislaus Superior Court on Wednesday.
Pete Warda is charged with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He also denied enhancements of using a firearm during the commission of the crime and being out on bail while awaiting judgment on a previous charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Warda is accused of shooting Thomas Hinchman outside the CR2 Bar and Billiards at Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue on the evening of Feb. 17.
Judge Rick Distaso set Warda’s bail at $5 million, he said, because the shooting occurred while Warda was out on bail.
Warda told The Bee last week he shot Hinchman in self-defense because Hinchman and his friend were assaulting him, hitting and kicking him while he was on the ground.
The confrontation started when Warda saw at least one of them leaning on his pickup and told them to move, Warda said.
Hinchman’s mother, who was not at the scene, said Hinchman’s friend told her Hinchman came between the two to apologize and to defuse the situation.
Warda’s attorney, Frank Carson, waived time for a speedy trial on behalf of his client and asked Distaso if they could return to court in late March.
“There’s a lot of investigation still occurring on both sides,” Carson said.
Warda will return to court for a pretrial hearing on March 28.
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
