A south King County man who is being investigated in the shooting death of former Kentridge High school athlete Devin Topps pleaded not guilty Wednesday to unlawful possession of a firearm and several other charges.
Jorge Luis Lizarraga, 20, entered not-guilty pleas to first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, vehicular assault, felony hit and run, residential burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and possession of methamphetamine. His arraignment took place in King County Superior Court at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Kent detectives are continuing their investigation of Lizarraga in connection to the Oct. 31 death of Topps, 18.
Lizarraga remained in custody Wednesday at the RJC with a combined bail of $1.5 million on the multiple charges, including $750,000 on the firearm charge.
Kent Police took Lizarraga into custody Dec. 21 after tracking him down at a SeaTac 7-Eleven store at South 194th Street and International Boulevard.
Kent detectives received a tip that day that Lizarraga was staying at the King’s Arms Motel, 23226 30th Ave. S., in Des Moines and allegedly had a handgun that he kept in the room, according to charging papers.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the motel room and found a Heckler & Koch .40-caliber handgun. Detectives later learned the handgun had been reported stolen from a residential burglary and was a Washington State Patrol service handgun.
Prosecutors filed the charges of taking a vehicle without permission, vehicular assault and felony hit and run against Lizarraga in connection with an incident Jan. 3, 2010 in Tukwila and SeaTac.
Lizarraga was charged with theft of a motor vehicle in connection with a May 10 case in Federal Way. He was charged with residential burglary for an Oct. 27 incident in Federal Way when he allegedly took a H&K .40-caliber pistol, 15-20 rounds of ammunition and a laptop computer.
Lizarraga is scheduled to return to court Jan. 19 for a hearing when a trial date could be set or attorneys from either side could request more time to prepare the case.
The 20-year-old has more than 15 convictions, including six felonies, according to charging papers in connection with the firearm case. The felony convictions include residential burglary in 2008, for which he received a 13-month sentence; first-degree possession of stolen property in 2007; taking a motor vehicle in 2007; and residential burglary in 2007.
Lizarraga had lived at the Des Moines motel for a few weeks prior to his arrest. He also has listed previous addresses in Burien and Auburn, according to charging papers.
Topps had signed a letter of intent to play football in 2010 for Eastern Washington University. He didn’t enroll at the school, due to grades.
According to police reports, Topps had gotten into a scuffle Oct. 31 with a group of people outside of a Halloween house party in Kent.
The 18-year-old was shot in the back, and managed to drag himself back to his truck parked nearby, where he collapsed. Responding emergency crews were unable to revive him.
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