Man charged in murder of father of 6 in Monrovia

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a father of six outside the victim’s Monrovia home, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Christopher Wiggan, 42, pleaded not guilty Friday to the murder charge in connection with the killing of 38-year-old Nicolas Gandara, who suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck on Sunday, according to the DA’s office.

Gandara tried to stop an argument between the Wiggan and an area resident on Duarte Road when the shooting occurred, the District Attorney’s Office reported. Wiggan fled, but he was arrested the next afternoon when he returned to the murder scene.

“I’m deeply saddened by the tragic loss of an innocent husband and father of six, who was senselessly shot and killed outside his own home,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a prepared statement. “I extend my deepest condolences to the victim’s family and assure you that we are here to support you in any way that we can. Such heinous acts of violence have no place in our society and will not be tolerated. We are committed to seeking justice for the victim and his family and will work tirelessly to ensure that the individual responsible for this heinous crime is held accountable.”

Wiggan was being held without bail and faces life in prison if convicted, according to the DA’s office. The case’s next scheduled court date is a preliminary hearing setting conference on June 20 in Dept. H of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Branch.

Jail records show that Wiggan was arrested Monday by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, released from custody Wednesday and arrested again by Monrovia police within seven minutes, City News Service reported. He has remained in custody since then.

The sheriff’s department is investigating the case, according to the DA’s office.­

A GoFundMe page was established on behalf of the Gandara family.