Sierra LaMar Murder Suspect Delay Plea To New Charges
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – The man accused of kidnapping and murdering missing Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar once again failed to enter a plea in a brief court appearance on Wednesday, as he faces new charges.
Shackled and wearing a brown jumpsuit, Antolin Garcia-Torres was arraigned on additional counts of attempted kidnapping not related to the LaMar case. The 21-year-old stood before the judge and said "Yes, your honor" when asked if he understood the additional charges being added to his case.
The charges stem from three attempted kidnappings in 2009 where women said Garcia-Torres attacked them in the parking lot of a Safeway in Morgan Hill.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
Tina Ingenthron, one of the volunteers who has been searching for Sierra LaMar, said these new charges are just more damning evidence.
"It makes me wonder if there's been others as well that maybe have gone unsolved in the area," she said.
Garcia-Torres was arrested in May in connection with the LaMar case. The missing Morgan Hill teen was last seen on the morning of March 16th. Her body has not been found.
Jennifer Koziel, who flew in from Chicago for this court appearance, said the search for LaMar will continue.
"You don't get used to it but you just learn to plug along and just keep thinking of her," Koziel said. "We just keep her face in our mind and we keep going."
Garcia-Torres is expected to be back in court on February 6.
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