Accused Killer's Bail Raised; Details of Fatal Night Released

The arraignment of Capitola resident Marcos Chavez was Thursday when he appeared in Santa Cruz Superior Court, with the new date set for Jan. 5. Chavez is being held on $1 million bail in county jail for the .

Prosecutor Celia Rowland requested that bail be increased from $750,000 to $2 million in court on Thursday. She said this was because the killing——was a “special circumstance crime.”

Public defender Jerry Vinluan objected to the increased bail on a financial basis and also argued that Chavez is not a flight risk.

“This is purely academic, because the defendant doesn't have the money even with bail at $750,000,” Vinluan said.

Rowland said that Chavez and Carpenter were together at Cafe Mare and the night of the homicide. Investigators are collecting surveillance footage at and near those places as well as receipts to determine how much alcohol was consumed. Blood alcohol tests are still unavailable and Rowland said it is unclear if Chavez or Carpenter were drunk. The prosecution is also pursuing military records, as both Chavez and Carpenter were veterans.

“Most of the records are for things that occurred after they were discharged,” said Rowland.

Interviews with people who knew the two men are ongoing. Rowland declined to release other information about the investigation.

Capitola-Soquel Patch spoke with Christie Chavez, the mother of Marcus Chavez on Tuesday. She said the whole family has been shocked by this ordeal. To read her full interview, .

Thursday was Judge Paul Marigonda's last day serving on the Department 3 bench of the court. The case will be ruled by Judge John Salazar on Jan. 5.

To keep up with Capitola's first homicide since 2003, see all of our articles on the subject here.