Woman accused of deadly northwest Fresno shooting pleads not guilty

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The woman accused of killing a man outside a Fresno bar last week pleaded in court Wednesday.

"Ms. Jones enters pleas of not guilty to all the charges set forth therein, further denying special allegations," Domonique Jones' attorney said.

We could not record Domonique Jones as she stood before a judge, but we can show this photo. It's from last Friday when Fresno Police officers arrested Jones on her way to the gym.

"There was nothing in her background that suggested to us that she was going to be a difficult person to deal with," Fresno Police Lieutenant Paul Cervantes said last Friday. "A very low-key arrest was made, and she was cooperative with law enforcement."

The 26-year-old is now charged with one count of murder for the shooting death of Gilberto Gutierrez. He leaves behind a wife and four children.

The shooting happened at Ewell's Place on the corner of Shaw and Marks Avenues on April 14.

Investigators say there was an argument between nine people. It is unclear what they were fighting about, but Fresno Police say Gutierrez stepped in and tried to calm things down.

It took a deadly turn and was all captured on video.

"We know based on the video evidence that Domonique Jones armed herself with a firearm," Lieutenant Cervantes said.

Prosecutors have also charged Isaiah Michael Joseph Diaz Clayton with carrying a loaded gun in public and hiding it in a car. He also pleaded not guilty as he stood next to Jones in court on Wednesday.

The judge said Jones would stay in jail on a $1.5 million bail, but Clayton got a break and was released.

As the case continues, Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi says a self-defense argument could take center stage.

"There may have been some reasons why that person shot the other person," Capozzi said. "Hopefully, there's some videotape showing what happened before the trigger was pulled. I think those are important aspects. This may well be a self-defense case."

Jones will be back in court next Wednesday for the judge to review her bail amount and determine if she's at risk of leaving Fresno.

She has no criminal history.

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