Disney star Johnny Ortiz has been charged with attempted murder and could be facing life in prison, according to reports.
The 24-year-old was reportedly involved with a "criminal street gang" when he and codefendant Armando Miguel Navarro, who appeared in court on Monday, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke in a shooting incident on May 24, People reported.
Ortiz starred with Kevin Costner is Disney’s “McFarland USA” in 2015 and also appear in “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” in 2019. He appeared with Jennifer Garner in the 2018 film “Peppermint."
Ortiz is facing a premeditated attempted murder charge and is being held on $1.1 million bail, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The criminal complaint states that Ortiz and Navarro, who were both arrested in late May, attempted to murder 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."
Details of the shooting are unclear but Navarro allegedly used a handgun to fire shots at Duke during the incident. He is being held on $2 million bail and could face life in prison if found guilty, Deadline noted. Ortiz faces 25 years to life in state prison and could be looking at additional sentencing charges. He has pleaded not guilty.