Upcoming court dates for crimes and matters. All hearings are scheduled for South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, unless otherwise noted.
Rucker Avenue home invasion
Five suspects – Norberto Serna, Juan Fonseca, Ernesto Gonzalez, Danny Rivera, Juvenal Reyes – are accused of beating, torturing and stealing from Gilroyan Gary Wise at his Rucker Avenue home Feb. 6, 2011 in a home invasion. Oct. 22: Preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. in the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Antolin Garcia Torres
The Morgan Hill resident is charged in the murder and kidnapping of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar. Sierra is still missing, and authorities suspect she is dead. Sept. 26: Plea hearing at 2 p.m. at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Stacy Lonnberg
The 51-year-old Gilroy woman was charged with two counts of murder and child endangerment after she was allegedly driving under the influence when she crashed on Highway 85. Her daughter and husband died in the crash Jan. 14. Sept. 12: Plea hearing at 2 p.m. in the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Ben Tan, Olivia Soza-Mendiola
Two former leaders of the Mexican American Community Services Agency who allegedly used employees’ retirement savings to pay for school operational costs, and are now being charged with felony grand theft and could face up to three years in prison. Nov. 9: Plea hearing at 2 p.m. in dept. 23 in the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
James Francis Lee
Lee faces manslaughter and drunken driving charges after he crashed his vehicle into a parked car along Highway 101 while driving home from a heavy metal concert, killing 4-year-old Gilroy resident Jose Cortes-Diaz. Sept. 24: trial begins at 9 a.m.
Guerrero sisters
Yvonne Guerrero, 19, of Gilroy, and Veronica Guerrero, 27, of San Jose, are in custody for attempted murder. They were arrested Sept. 10 by the Gilroy Police Department. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a third suspect, Carlos Montoya, of Milpitas, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Matt Harris, deputy district attorney handling the case has not returned phone calls regarding when their pretrial hearing will be held.
Tara Romero murder case
Esmeling Bahena, 18 of Morgan Hill; Ricardo Diaz, 19 of Morgan Hill; Fernando Mateo Lopez, 20 of Gilroy; Primitivo Hernandez, 23 of San Jose; and Ramon Gutierrez, 17 of Morgan Hill; The five young men are charged with murder and attempted murder, with a special circumstance of carrying out the crime in the interest of an illegal street gang, in relation to the Nov. 4, 2011 murder of Tara Romero, 14, near the intersection of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues in Morgan Hill. Three other Morgan Hill teens were shot and injured in the drive-by attack. Sept. 27: Preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. Â
Sandra Arias
Sandra Arias, 28, will appear at South County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Friday for a plea hearing. She is charged with felony hit and run causing injury in relation to an accident June 16 in which Joshua Valdez, 22 of Morgan Hill, was critically injured. The accident happened near the intersection of Butterfield Boulevard and San Pedro Avenue. Sept. 18: Preliminary hearing 1:30 p.m. at South County Courthouse.
Andrew Comacho
Comacho, who is accused of molesting six underage teenage girls by contacting them through the Internet, will appear at South County Courthouse for a plea hearing 9 a.m. Friday. Comacho was arrested on suspicion of the crimes by Morgan Hill police April 19. Oct. 5: Plea hearing at 9 a.m. at South County Courthouse.
