Two teenage gang members from Athens made their first court appearances Friday since being indicted on charges of beating a 68-year-old Gainesville man to death in a March home invasion.

Daniel Vilchis-Ayala and Nelson Vaca, both 17,  entered pleas of not guilty through their attorneys in a brief arraignment in front of Hall County Superior Court Judge Jason Deal.

Authorities say both teens and a third suspect who remains at large are members of the Sur-13 street gang, though they are not believed to be connected to the Sur-13 chapter in Hall County that was involved in last weekend’s fatal brawl.

The bludgeoned body of Ramon Hernandez, a handyman at the East Ridge Mobile Home Park, was found on March 18 inside his home off Marlow Drive. Authorities say he was beaten to death with a gun.

Vilchis-Ayala was 16 at the time of his arrest but was charged as an adult because the charge is murder.

On Friday, Vilchis-Ayala stared straight ahead as Assistant District Attorney Alison Toller read the indictment against him, which included charges of murder, aggravated battery, attempted armed robbery, kidnapping with bodily injury, false imprisonment and violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act. About a dozen of his family members looked on from the gallery.

Vilchis-Ayala’s attorney, Jim Smith, and Vaca’s attorney, Bernard Brody, both declined to comment outside of court after the hearing.

Authorities are still looking for 16-year-old Brian Martin Rivera, who is believed to have fled Georgia shortly after the killing.

District Attorney Lee Darragh is prevented by law from seeking the death penalty in the case because of the ages of the defendants at the time of the homicide.

Deal told Vilchis-Ayala’s attorney he was hopeful of setting a tentative trial date for the case during the next court date in August.
Both men remain jailed without bond.