Man charged with capital murder in shotgun ambush of woman in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday filed capital murder charges against a man accused of using a shotgun to ambush a woman with whom he had a business dispute, shooting her in the head as she walked to dinner near Hollywood's tourist hub.

Ezeoma Chigozie Obioha, 31, was arraigned on one count of murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait and murder for financial gain, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Obioha pleaded not guilty to the charges, KCBS-TV reported. He was ordered held without bail, the station said.

Prosecutors say Obioha was waiting for Carrie Melvin, 30, on the evening of July 5, and ambushed her near a busy intersection near her home as she walked to dinner with her boyfriend.

Melvin suffered one fatal shot to the head with a shotgun, police said. The gunman then fled in a dark sedan.

The shooting happened three blocks from the intersection of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, near Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Dolby Theatre complex where the Oscars are held each year.

KCBS-TV, citing Los Angeles police, reported that Melvin had threatened to take Obioha to court to collect several hundred dollars from a check he had previously bounced.

Melvin, who had a social media company, had done some marketing work for Obioha's clothing line, the news broadcaster reported.

The special circumstances in the crime make Obioha eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted, prosecutors said.

His attorney, Jovan Blacknell, could not immediately be reached for comment.

He told reporters outside of court the evidence does not support his client's guilt.

"The image that has been put forth so far has been very negative. And that is not who he is," Blacknell said.

Obioha is due back in court next month.

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Himani Sarkar)