Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, one of two brothers charged in the Aug. 11 murder of a Wake County deputy, was transferred Thursday to a Wake County jail and appeared in court the same afternoon.
On Thursday, Marin-Sotelo was appointed a court-appointed attorney.
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Marin-Sotelo will remain in a Wake County jail without parole. An arraignment or trial date have yet to be scheduled.
Before Thursday's court appearance, WRAL News was filming while Marin-Sotelo was walked into the jail.
Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker, whose office is mourning the loss of Deputy Ned Byrd said he was "still sad," adding, "It's not going to bring deputy Byrd back, but this office has been [working] around the clock bringing those individuals ... who we believe are responsible for taking his life."
Baker said the investigation is ongoing, adding, "There could be more arrests [but] we are in a good place with the case and are beginning to prepare for prosecution."
Along with his brother, Arturo Marin-Sotelo, Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo is charged with murdering Byrd. If convicted, both men face life in prison or the death penalty.
Arturo Marin-Sotelo's next court date is set for Sept. 8.
Before he was transferred to Wake County, Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo was being held in the Forsyth County Jail on a federal immigration detainer to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate whether he is in the country legally. He had been detained there since Aug. 16.
In federal court on Wednesday in Winston-Salem, Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo waived a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing on a charge of possessing a gun illegally while not being a resident of the U.S.
Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo qualified for a court-appointed attorney due to his income level.
Marin-Sotelo's attorney said Wednesday that his client makes $20,000 per month, but he is left with $4,000 after paying out employees. The attorney did not specify the source of Marin-Sotelo's income.
