Crime

A hearing for Morgan Hill murder suspect Antolin Garcia Torres was continued Thursday at the Hall of Justice in San Jose, as his attorney told the court his defense team has yet to finish combing through “mounds of evidence” before entering a plea. Garcia Torres, 22, is accused of killing Sierra LaMar, who disappeared from her north Morgan Hill home March 16, 2012 when she was 15. He is charged with murder and kidnapping, though neither Sierra’s remains nor evidence of her whereabouts have been found, according to authorities. Garcia Torres remains in custody at Santa Clara County Jail where he has been detained since his arrest May 2012. At Thursday’s hearing he was dressed in a brown suit and tie, similar to garments he has worn to previous hearings. He glanced briefly at the audience both on his way in and out of the courtroom with an expression that a supporter of the ongoing search for Sierra later called “cocky.”Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Al Lopez, who represents Garcia Torres, told Superior Court Judge Sharon Chatman during the hearing that the suspect’s attorneys are still reviewing evidence shared by investigators and prosecutors, and therefore were not prepared to enter a plea as scheduled. Attorneys have previously said there are more than 10,000 pages worth of evidence in the case which sparked nationwide attention to the missing teen. The lead prosecutor in the case, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Boyd, noted his frustration with the repeated delays in the case. He told the judge he hoped Thursday to hear something “more concrete” from the defendant such as a suggested date for a preliminary hearing.Garcia Torres' case has been scheduled for plea hearings more than 15 times since his arrest in May 2012, and he has declined to enter a plea each time.Chatman set the next hearing for Garcia Torres for March 3 at the Hall of Justice, for entry of plea and setting of a preliminary hearing. She added her “hope” is that Garcia Torres will enter a plea at that time. The audience at Thursday’s hearing included about 15 volunteers who continue to search weekly - and sometimes twice a week - for Sierra or any evidence of her whereabouts. Those who spoke to the media said they remain frustrated with the ongoing delays in the case, but they are committed to seeing closure for Sierra and her family. “The love (that) the Sierra LaMar Search Center has shown is unbelievable,” search volunteer Doug Tollis said outside the courthouse after the hearing. Volunteers continue to meet on Thursdays and Saturdays at the former site of Central High School on Monterey Road to coordinate and plan search efforts. Sierra was a sophomore at Sobrato High School at the time of her disappearance. Investigators think she was kidnapped the morning of March 16, 2012 while she was walking to her school bus stop near the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues, which is less than half a mile from the home where she was living with her mother at the time. Garcia Torres is also charged with a series of unrelated attempted carjacking and assaults in 2009, which occurred in the parking lots of two Safeway grocery stores in Morgan Hill.For more information on the search for Sierra, including how to volunteer, go to findsierralamar.com.

The search for suspects wanted in connection with an armed robbery in Vacaville led to a lengthy standoff that began shortly after 10:30 a.m. and stretched well into Thursday evening at Gilroy’s Motel 6.

The truck suspected of being used in the October homicide of Hollister’s Michael Cortez has been found abandoned and found by authorities, according to the Hollister Police Department.

Throngs of onlookers gathered around a hectic scene Monday evening after a Gilroy motorcyclist sustained life-threatening injuries in a serious collision in front of Kachy Produce, located at 8655 Monterey Road just north of Leavesley Avenue.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office is warning residents about a widespread national scam involving MoneyGram, a popular money transfer service.

Police arrested a San Jose man on New Year’s Day after he allegedly fled from the scene of a crash in which a pregnant woman was injured, authorities said. About 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, Esteban Sanchez, 23 of San Jose, crashed his Mazda 3 into a vehicle on East Dunne Avenue, injuring the pregnant driver, according to a press release from Morgan Hill Police. Sanchez fled the scene, and soon after lost control of the Mazda and collided into a fire hydrant and traffic signal box on Butterfield Boulevard at Barrett Avenue, police said. After the collision, Sanchez exited the vehicle and led officers on a foot pursuit into an industrial area near Caputo Drive.Sanchez was taken into custody and booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of felony hit and run, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, driving on a suspended license and violation of probation, police said. Police later learned that Sanchez has been arrested four prior times on suspicion of driving under the influence. Anyone with information about this case can contact Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

After a suspect’s vehicle was identified in connection with two auto burglaries at the Morgan Hill Community Recreational Center, a Morgan Hill police investigation led officers to their suspect in the early morning of New Year’s Eve, police said.

Police arrested two people outside a Morgan Hill hotel after finding drugs and stolen credit cards in the room they were renting, according to a press release from Morgan Hill Police Department. On Sunday, Morgan Hill police contacted Kristina Jeffrey, 33 of San Martin, in the parking lot of the Executive Inn on the 16000 block of Condit Road, police said. Jeffrey was on searchable probation, authorities said. Officers located an ounce of methamphetamine, an ounce of marijuana and stolen credit cards in her hotel room and vehicle. Police also contacted Jorge Hernandez, 30 of Morgan Hill, at the hotel, and he was also arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Jeffrey and Hernandez were booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of possession of narcotics, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of stolen property, police said. Anyone with information about this case can call Morgan Hill Police at (408) 779-2101 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867. 

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