Man accused in Annapolis mass shooting to be re-tried in September
A man accused of killing three people and injuring three others in a 2023 mass shooting in Annapolis will have a retrial in September.
Charles Robert Smith, 45, was initially put on trial on Feb. 7 after he allegedly shot and killed three people during a dispute over a parking spot.
The retrial comes after a mistrial was declared in February.
Parking dispute leads to mass shooting
Mario Mireles, 27, his father, Nick Mireles, 55, and their family friend, Christian Segovia, 25, were killed in the shooting, and three other people were injured.
The shooting occurred on June 11, 2023, after Smith arrived home as his neighbor, Mario was hosting a party at his home in Annapolis.
According to court records, cars were parked along the street, and Smith's mother had called the police to complain about a car that was blocking her driveway.
Mario went to Smith's home to complain, leading to a fight during which Smith pulled a gun and shot Mario and Segovia, court records show.
Smith went into his home, got a rifle and began to fire shots out of a window as other people from the party came over to help. One of the shots killed Nick Mireles, according to court records.
During the shooting, a woman was shot in the ankle, a man was shot in the arm and another man was shot in the leg and back.
Smith was charged with murder motivated by hate toward Hispanic persons, attempted murder and assault, according to court records.
Mistrial declared
Two weeks into the initial trial, Smith's attorney called for a mistrial, citing that the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney mischaracterized evidence and brought up facts that the judge ruled to be irrelevant, the Baltimore Banner reported.
As Smith was on the stand, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess brought up a call that Smith made while in jail, saying he wanted to get his mother evaluated for Alzheimer's disease. Leitess said Smith was trying to prevent his mother from testifying because her testimony would be different than his.
According to the Baltimore Banner, Smith's attorney also alleged that Leitess was making up statements while on the stand and "created an atmosphere where the defense was being attacked."
Leitess, in turn, argued that Smith was hostile toward her during his testimony.
Ultimately, the judge said Leitess made "several transgressions" that tainted Smith's testimony.
Family members of the victims were visibly upset in court after a mistrial was declared.
According to court records, Smith is scheduled for a retrial on September 24, 2025.