Suspect in 2012 kidnapping, murder of Calif. girl indicted

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A grand jury on Tuesday indicted a 22-year-old man in a series of violent attacks on South Bay women in 2009 and the 2012 abduction and killing of a 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl, Sierra LaMar.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced Antolin Garcia-Torres' indictment in a statement, nearly two years after he was arrested in the teen's death.

"The district attorney's office took this case to the criminal grand jury to expedite the lengthy criminal process, which began almost two years ago," Rosen said. "Sierra's family, the surviving victims, and our entire community, deserves justice."

Garcia-Torres was arrested in May 2012 but has yet to enter a plea on murder and kidnapping charges. His defense attorney has repeatedly delayed plea entry in numerous court appearances because, in at least three cases, they said prosecutors had not turned over evidence against Garcia-Torres. 

The defendant is represented by the Santa Clara County Alternate Defender Office. Telephone messages left there Tuesday evening were not immediately returned.

Garcia-Torres was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon. After the arraignment, Rosen said, Deputy District Attorney David Boyd will ask for the case to be scheduled for trial.

Garcia-Torres is accused of trying to kidnap three women during a string of carjackings in 2009. The victims included an 18-year-old from Gilroy, a 46-year-old from San Martin and a 36-year-old from Morgan Hill.

In addition, the DNA of LaMar, who disappeared in March 2012 and whose body has not been found, was discovered in Garcia-Torres' car, authorities said.