A man pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Tuesday in the slaying of a mother of five as she finished her shift at a South Los Angeles discount store.
Eric Atkinson, 31, is accused of gunning down 39-year-old Martha Sanchez at the Happy Bargain 99 Cent store on the night of Sept. 17.
Atkinson is scheduled to be back in court Nov. 25.
Investigators said Atkinson was already in custody on a parole violation when police identified him as the suspect with the help of surveillance video showing a man leaving the store. There was also surveillance video from inside the store that will likely be used in court, detectives said.
Officers also recovered a handgun that they believe was used "on the day of the crime."
On the night of the fatal shooting, a customer of the store in the 7400 block of South Broadway found Sanchez and phoned for help. Sanchez later died at a hospital.
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