Judge won't dismiss murder charges against security guards

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - A northern Illinois judge is refusing to dismiss murder charges against two security guards in the 2016 fatal shooting of a man whom they tried to stop while patrolling an apartment complex.

A Winnebago County judge rejected on Thursday arguments from defense attorneys that prosecutors mislead a grand jury to obtain indictments against 29-year-old Ryan Mattingly and 30-year-old Alijon Khalil.

Authorities say the guards didn't recognize 34-year-old Valentia Jovan Fresco after shots had been fired near the Rockford complex and he walked away when they asked for identification. The guards said Fresco had two guns before Mattingly fired, although prosecutors say there's no evidence Fresco pointed a gun at anyone.

Mattingly's defense attorney Christopher DeRango tells the Rockford Register Star that the guards feared for their lives.

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Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com