No Contest Plea in Shooting

A South Pasadena High School student pleaded no contest Wednesday to the attempted murder of a La Canada High School student in a deal that will send him to prison for 16 years.

David Melendez, 18, entered the plea in Pasadena Superior Court and admitted he used a firearm, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

In return for the plea, prosecutors will dismiss one count each of assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a juvenile and mayhem.

Melendez is scheduled to be sentenced June 8.

“Faced with basically spending the rest of his life in prison, he decided to take the sure thing and the sure thing was a 16-year sentence,” said Phil Nameth, Melendez’s attorney.

On May 25, 2003, more than 100 people had gathered at a La Canada Flintridge home for an after-prom party when a brawl erupted between students from the rival schools. Melendez shot and critically wounded Thomas Johnson-Blasucci, then an 18-year-old La Canada High School football player. He survived and now attends college.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Shelly Torrealba said Johnson-Blasucci’s family found the plea acceptable.

“Their son is doing well,” Torrealba said. “They really didn’t want him to go through the physical and emotional trauma of a trial and reliving the whole incident.”