Prosecutors allege Quiles, 34, pointed an air gun at the woman and others with her with whom he had a history of conflict; the woman had a heart attack and subsequently died.
SPRINGFIELD — A 34-year-old city man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court to involuntary manslaughter in a case in which a 71-year-old woman died of a heart attack more than a year ago.
He is, in essence, accused of scaring her to death.
Jose Quiles was indicted on the involuntary manslaughter charge late last month in relation to the death of Rosauro Flores-Rodriguez on March 20, 2011.
Prosecutors allege Quiles pointed an air gun, which looked just like a real gun, at the woman and others with her with whom he had a history of conflict. The incident on Kendall Street happened March 8, 2011. Flores-Rodriguez was hospitalized, and died March 20.
Quiles is held in lieu of $75,000 bail in the manslaughter case.
The prosecution of Quiles for the incident has taken a complicated trajectory.
Quiles was arraigned in Hampden Superior Court on Nov. 19 on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Those charges allege he pointed the gun at the woman and others.
That case is still pending.
But the indictment for involuntary manslaughter from the same incident came much later, in part because prosecutors say they were waiting for all the medical information about Flores-Rodriguez
Joseph A. Franco, Quiles’ lawyer, said Quiles denies he pointed the toy gun at Flores-Rodriguez.
He said she had a serious medical condition and Quiles did not contribute to it.
The prosecution contends Flores-Rodriguez’ level of fear was great because of the previous history of conflict involving Quiles and her family members.
Pointing what appeared to be a real and working gun at a 71-year-old woman, the state contends, showed such a high disregard of probable consequences it fits a theory of involuntary manslaughter.
