Details emerge in fatal Winton bar shooting, as defendant appears in Merced County court

A Winton man pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and possession of a firearm in Merced County Superior Court on Wednesday. in connection with a fatal shooting outside a bar earlier this month.

Meanwhile, details from a Merced County Sheriff’s investigation report in the case sheds light upon the circumstances that may have led up to the homicide.

Brian Escalera Barragan, 29, is accused of killing Armando Oseguera, Jr., 38, and having a firearm despite being a convicted felon, according to the criminal complaint.

Curtis Sok, the defense attorney in the case, declined comment following Wednesday’s arraignment, saying he had just been appointed.

The killing happened early March 19 outside the El Noa Noa Bar in the 6000 block of Winton Way in Winton. When Merced County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on scene at 1:39 a.m., they found Oseguera dead outside the bar, lying face down with a gunshot wound to his face, according to the sheriff’s report.

Witnesses of the shooting said Oseguera was fighting with two women at the bar. According to the report, the altercation was verbal, but then escalated into a physical confrontation with at least one of the women.

Just minutes later Oseguera walked outside with one of the women, who witnesses said he continued fighting with. One of those women had already texted Barragan, who she was friends with, telling him to come to the bar, according to the report.

Once Barragan arrived at the bar, he texted the woman to tell her he was there, the report says. She went outside to talk to him and told Barragan she had a fight in the bar with Oseguera.

While the woman told deputies she didn’t tell Barragan to shoot Oseguera, once she went back to the bar and continued fighting with Oseguera, Barragan allegedly took out his gun to shoot him.

Customers at the bar that night also told deputies they saw a man they described as skinny, wearing a blue and white plaid shirt, run up to Oseguera, shoot him, and then walk away from the scene, according to the sheriff’s report.

When officers caught up to Barragan at the house where he lived with his family, they found a black semi-automatic Glock that matched the spent casings found outside the bar, and several other firearms throughout the house, the report said.

The afternoon after the shooting, deputies detained Barragan to question him about the incident before arresting him on a single charge of murder and the weapons-related charge.

He was booked in the Merced County Jail without bail. His next court date is scheduled for April 13 at 10 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.

This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 1:38 PM.