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A jury on Monday acquitted Patrick Saavedra of first-degree murder in the 2021 killing of a homeless man who was fatally shot while sticking up for security guards in Downtown sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

But jurors failed to reach a verdict on a lesser charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 38-year-old Michael Sanchez near First and Gold SW.

Jury also convicted Saavedra, 41, of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for pointing a gun at an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 security guard during a shouting match between the two men.

The 2nd Judicial District Court jury reached the verdicts at about 4 p.m. Monday after beginning their deliberations late Friday in Judge Clara Moran鈥檚 court.

Assistant District Attorney Derek Berg said they plan to retry Saavedra on the second-degree murder charge. No new trial date has been scheduled.

Prosecutors said Saavedra made a 鈥渃alculated decision鈥� to shoot Sanchez in the head at close range.

Saavedra鈥檚 attorney, Robert Cooper, argued that Saavedra acted in self-defense, believing that Sanchez was armed with a firearm.

鈥淚n America, we have a right to defend ourselves,鈥� Cooper said Friday in closing arguments.

Testifying in his own defense last week, Saavedra told jurors that he feared for his life and fired in self-defense as Sanchez stood at the passenger window of Saavedra鈥檚 truck on Dec. 9, 2021.

鈥淚 feared for my life,鈥� Saavedra told jurors Thursday. 鈥淚 feared a catastrophic injury that I couldn鈥檛 come back from.鈥�

Saavedra also acknowledged that he had pointed a gun at an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 security guard as the two men argued outside the Alvarado Transportation Center at First and Central SW.

Prosecutor Josh Hasyniec told jurors on Friday that anger was Saavedra鈥檚 motive for the killing.

鈥淗is desire to harm was growing,鈥� prosecutor Joshua Hasyniec said during closing arguments. 鈥淗e already wanted to harm someone and now he has Michael Sanchez, this unsheltered man, standing by his passenger side window. Saavedra made a calculated decision to kill Sanchez.鈥�

Hasyniec said Saavedra was initially angered when he found a parking ticket on his truck after a night of heavy drinking at Knockouts Gentleman鈥檚 Club, 311 Central NW.

Saavedra testified that he was 鈥渇rustrated鈥� by the ticket and drove around the Downtown area searching for the person who had issued the ticket. Saavedra began following a city-owned vehicle, he told jurors.

He pulled up beside the vehicle outside the Alvarado Transportation Center at First and Central where he engaged in a noisy and lengthy argument with security guard Anthony Aragon through their vehicle windows. At one point, Saavedra pointed a handgun at Aragon.

Saavedra said he then turned his attention to Sanchez, who walked up from his encampment at First and Gold, shouting, 鈥渓eave my officers alone.鈥�

Saavedra said Sanchez walked up to the passenger鈥檚 side window and the two men argued. Then Sanchez raised his hands, causing Saavedra to believe Sanchez was holding a gun, he told jurors.

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 police obtained a photo of Saavedra鈥檚 license plate from a security guard who had observed both the shooting and the argument between Saavedra and Aragon.

Police traced the license plate number to Saavedra鈥檚 truck, which they found parked in the driveway of Saavedra鈥檚 home, where he was arrested the next morning.