The Latest: Friend: Starbucks victim was naturalized citizen

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on a weekend shooting at a Starbucks in Las Vegas that left one man dead (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

The man killed in a shooting at a Starbucks coffee shop in Las Vegas was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Tblisi, Georgia, where he served in the military and learned not to back away from conflict.

That’s according to David Shtromberg, a lifelong friend who says he used to warn Aleksandr Khutsishvili about trying to defend other people.

Shtromberg lives in Los Angeles. He says Khutsishvili went by the nickname Sasha, and was a twice-divorced father of three who became a U.S. citizen in 2004 and used to work as a longshoreman in California before moving to Las Vegas several years ago.

The defendant in the slaying case, 34-year-old Pedro Jose Garcia, made an initial court appearance Wednesday on murder and other charges in the Sunday slaying.

A judge postponed Garcia’s arraignment until Friday. Defense attorney Edward Kane says he expects Garcia will plead not guilty.

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12:35 p.m.

A friend says a man shot and killed at a Las Vegas Starbucks over the weekend was an immigrant from the country of Georgia who once worked as a longshoreman in Long Beach, California.

Vladimir Shtromberg of Redondo Beach tells The Associated Press that victim Aleksandr Khutsishvili (koot-shish-VEE’-lee) once lived at his home and was friends with his son since childhood.

Shtromberg says 41-year-old Khutsishvili was the kind of person who would step in try to stop a robbery if he saw one. He says Khutsishvili came from Tblisi (tib-LEE’-see), Georgia.

Pedro Jose Garcia appeared in court for the first time Wednesday.

Witnesses say he entered the Starbucks after his credit card was declined at the drive-thru and shot twice into the ceiling before shooting Khutsishvili.

Garcia’s defense attorney, Edward Kane, says he expects Garcia will plead not guilty.

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8:45 a.m.

A court date was postponed until Friday for an ex-felon accused of killing a Starbucks customer during a weekend coffee shop shooting in Las Vegas.

The delay came Wednesday, after Pedro Jose Garcia’s court-appointed public defender asked a judge for time to confirm whether his office has can represent Garcia in the case.

The attorney, Edward Kane, said outside court he expects Garcia will plead not guilty.

The 34-year-old Garcia is accused of killing 41-year-old Aleksandr Khutsishvili (koot-shish-VEE’-lee) with a gunshot to the chest with a .22-caliber handgun.

Witnesses say Garcia entered the store after his payment card was declined Sunday at the drive-thru window, and shot twice into the ceiling before shooting Khutsishvili.

Police say the two men exchanged angry words, but didn’t appear to know each other previously.