Jan. 4, 2008 — Jury selection is set for 9 a.m. March 3 in Superior Court for 19-year-old Akeel Codrington, who pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges in connection with the October murder of Carlos Aguilar, gunned down after a burglary at his home.
Superior Court Judge Michael C. Dunston heard the plea during an arraignment on charges of first-degree murder, weapons charges and possession of stolen property stemming from a burglary and shooting Oct. 16 that resulted in the 52-year-old Aguilar's death on Oct. 25.
Superior Court Judge James S. Carroll III will hear the case against Codrington, who is being held without bail. Detective Albion George, who traveled to Alaska and Colorado in November to gather statements from witnesses, testified last month that three witnesses identified Codrington as Aguilar's assailant.
The shooting happened in broad daylight, in front of numerous motorists, many of them tourists. Aguilar's car collided with another vehicle on Smith Bay Road near Sapphire Beach, as Aguilar pursued a vehicle whose occupants he suspected were involved in burglarizing his Smith Bay home. Following the collision, gunfire erupted, and Aguilar was shot once from a distance and a second time at close range, according to police.
Aguilar was an architect with the firm Springline Architects, and he settled in St. Thomas in 1985. A native of El Salvador, Aguilar was a long-time member of the St. Thomas Yacht Club, where he was renowned for his sailing skills and his mentoring of young sailors.
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