Man pleads innocent in Springdale killing

FAYETTEVILLE — A Lowell man pleaded innocent Wednesday to one charge of capital murder and one charge of attempted capital murder related to a Springdale shooting.

Franklin Antonio SotoRamos, 21, was given a court date of Oct. 18 in Washington County Circuit Court before Judge Mark Lindsay.

Officers were flagged down at a Kum & Go convenience store on East Robinson Avenue, just after 3 a.m. June 22, and were told there was a shooting in the parking lot at a neighboring McDonald’s, according to a news release from police.

Police said Carlos Alexander Ascencio, 18, died in the shooting. Juan Carlos Bahena-Garcia, 20, was injured in the shooting.

Witnesses told police the dead man, the injured man and a third man in a wheelchair entered the parking lot. They aggressively approached a group of people who were standing around their cars. Gang signs were flashed and a fight ensued before shots were fired.

One witness told police Soto-Ramos’ brother was punched in the face. Franklin Soto-Ramos then got a gun from a nearby car and started shooting at the victims.

Soto-Ramos was arrested at 2:15 p.m. June 22 outside Indianapolis, according to Springdale police. He was tracked through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana by location pinging a cellular phone that belonged to Soto-Ramos’ girlfriend who was with him. Police believe Soto-Ramos has family in Indiana.

Soto-Ramos was returned to the area and booked July 12 into the Washington County jail. He has no bond set.

Capital murder, if convicted, is punishable by either life in prison with no possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have not made a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty.