By KATHY MATHESON
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

A cousin of former Mayor Milton Milan is being held on more than $1 million bail after his arraignment Friday in the February shooting death of a city resident.

David Mendez, 36, said he appeared before Superior Court Judge Linda Baxter without a lawyer because he was still looking for "the right one."

Baxter entered an automatic plea of innocent for Mendez and started the process of assigning him a public defender in the interim.

Police accused Mendez of gunning down 24-year-old Luis Ocasio, of the Ferry Station Apartments, in February.

Mendez, formerly of State Street, fled after the shooting but was arrested Sept. 6 in Brooklyn, N.Y., officials said. He was extradited to Camden on Thursday.

The motive for the slaying is unclear, officials said. Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Smith said only that the two men had an argument, after which Mendez returned and shot Ocasio as the victim sat in a car in the 1100 block of North 34th Street.

Authorities believe Mendez may have information about the unsolved 1988 killing of Francisco "Pancho" Chamorro. Milan was questioned about the murder, which occurred before he was elected to public office, but was not charged in the slaying. Milan has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Milan is now serving more than seven years in federal prison for corruption.