The trial for a 25-year-old Santa Maria man accused of the alleged gang-related shooting death of a rival in 2021 is underway, as prosecutors and defense attorneys sift through potential jurors.

Jury selection began on Sept. 22 before Judge Kristy Imel in Department 6 of the Santa Maria Superior Court in the trial of Alfredo Alaniz, who is charged in connection to the death of 19-year-old Mario Angel Merino Gonzalez, who was shot and killed near the intersection of Lincoln and Mill streets in May 2021.

Shortly after 2 a.m. on May 16, 2021, Santa Maria Police responded a report of the shooting near the intersection. Upon arriving, police located Gonzalez, who was declared dead at the scene.

Through an investigation, Santa Maria Police detectives said they identified Alaniz as the shooter

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