Actor Johnny Ortiz has been charged with premeditated attempted murder charges. The actor, who was most recently seen in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, now faces 25 years to life in prison.
Ortiz and his codefendant Armando Miguel Navarro allegedly attempted to kill Brian Duke “for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members,” according to a criminal complaint reviewed by People.
The complaint claims that 18-year-old Navarro pulled the trigger of a handgun on Duke on May 24. Ortiz’s role in the alleged crime is not clear.
The 24-year-old actor — who also played Jose Cardenas in Disney’s McFarland, USA alongside costar Kevin Costner — is being held at the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail on a $1.1 million bail. Navarro is being held on a $2 million bail.
Ortiz’s family — who say that the actor is innocent of the charges against him — set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to have him released on bond.
“Johnny is everything to our family. Johnny does everything to help the community and the Hispanic community especially. Johnny has contributed to many non-profit organizations and community organizations,” reads Ortiz’s GoFundMe page. “He is in jail fighting for his case that he is innocent on. We want our beloved family member back with us.”
“We want our beloved family member back with us,” the page says. “He’s a brother, son, and friend to our family. We lost our beloved mother with cancer and losing another family member breaks our heart. Please help us pay for Johnny Bail Bond to get him out.”
Both Ortiz and Navarro pleaded not guilty during on Monday. The pair are due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 22, according to People.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.