Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 10 May 2017
Phoenix serial killings suspect: ‘I’m innocent’ Man guilty of kill-
ing teen whose

JACQUES BILLEAUD know why? Because there and authorities said it was appointed lawyer, wasn’t body has not
Associated Press were no white people dy- a tipster who provided the immediately returned. been found
PHOENIX (AP) — A former ing,” resident Sirwendell break in the case. But they Two weeks after Saucedo
city bus driver suspected Flowers said. “Look at the would not elaborate, and allegedly carried out the By PAUL ELIAS
in a string of nine deadly faces on the news. The po- details of the evidence as- first killing, authorities seized Associated Press
shootings that spread fear lice didn’t care.” sembled against Saucedo the weapon in that crime SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
in Phoenix declared “I’m Marina Smith was seven were sealed by a judge at from a Phoenix pawn shop A jury on Tuesday found
innocent” as residents of months pregnant last year prosecutors’ request. At the time, investigators a man guilty of abduct-
the terrorized neighbor- when her partner, 21-year- Witnesses described the were looking into a sepa- ing and killing a 15-year-
hoods Tuesday expressed old Northern California
both relief over the arrest girl whose body has never
and frustration that it took been found despite hun-
so long. dreds of volunteers search-
Aaron Saucedo, 23, spoke ing through woods and
up during a brief court ap- marshlands for months.
pearance late Monday The San Jose, California,
night after his arrest on sus- jury will reconvene May
picion of being the killer 16 to determine whether
dubbed the Serial Street Antolin Garcia-Torres, 26,
Shooter. A judge ordered should be sentenced to
him held without bail. death for the killing of Si-
Police say Saucedo killed erra LaMar. Sierra disap-
nine people and carried peared in 2012 on her way
out 12 shootings from Au- to school in Morgan Hill, a
gust 2015 to July 2016, gun- rural community is about
ning down victims after 25 miles (40 kilometers)
dark as they stood outside south of San Jose.
their homes or sat in their “Nothing will take away
cars. Most of the killings the pain and sorrow we
were in a Latino neighbor- experience every day,”
hood. Police gave no de- Marlene LaMar, Sierra’s
tails on a motive. Saucedo mother, told reporters out-
knew only the first victim, side court. “But it gives us
and the other killings were This photo and sketch combo shows an undated photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s peace as a family to know
random, authorities said. Office of Aaron Saucedo, left, and a July 2016 composite sketch provided by the Phoenix Police this isn’t going to happen
Because of the shootings Department showing a suspect in a series of fatal shootings in Phoenix. Saucedo, a 23-year-old to another child.”
Phoenix man arrested in a string of 2016 serial killings that terrorized several Phoenix neighbor-
last summer, some resi- hoods, is proclaiming his innocence. The former city bus driver declared “I’m innocent” during a Sierra’s family and friends
dents stayed inside after brief court hearing Monday, May 8, 2017. packed the courtroom
dark. Others were afraid (Maricopa County SO and Phoenix PD via AP) Tuesday to hear the ver-
to come forward because dict. Marlene LaMar said
many are immigrants in the old Diego Verdugo-San- shooter as a young, lanky rate string of shootings that she was apprehensive that
U.S. illegally or don’t have chez, was gunned down. Hispanic man who drove targeted drivers on Phoe- the jury would have trou-
their paperwork in order. Smith said she had grown a BMW, helping develop a nix-area freeways. ble finding Garcia-Torres’
Residents said they were frustrated as detectives sketch that bears a striking But detectives with the guilty since there was no
happy that police made kept her in the dark about resemblance to Saucedo. Arizona Department of body.
an arrest but questioned the investigation. Police said Saucedo had a Public Safety never con- She wept when the verdict
whether it would have “The fact of them finding BMW but stopped driving it ducted ballistics tests on was read.
happened sooner had the somebody, at least it was and changed his appear- the gun and returned it to “We felt very confident
killings occurred in a differ- some type of news,” she ance after the final shoot- the pawn shop five days about the evidence we
ent neighborhood. said. ing. later once they ruled out had,” Santa Clara County
“They didn’t look for him at The hunt for the killer yield- A call left Tuesday for Dean the weapon in the freeway prosecutor David Boyd
all. They didn’t care. You ed more than 30,000 tips, Roskosz, Saucedo’s court- shootings. q told reporters outside court
when asked about con-
Suspect in doctors’ slayings had worked at their condo ducting a murder trial with-
out a body.
Boyd declined further com-
BOSTON (AP) — The man ment at Palladion ended in elry was also found inside Ear Infirmary in Boston, de- ment, noting the trial is still
suspected of killing two en- April 2016. their unit. scribed her as compassion- ongoing. He will argue for
gaged doctors in their luxu- Teixeira, 30, is charged with In a statement, Field’s fami- ate, caring and an integral the death penalty when ju-
ry penthouse condominium two counts of murder in the ly called the deaths of both part of the team, the Bos- rors reconvene next week
once held a job there. Friday deaths of Dr. Lina Bo- doctors “a tragedy beyond ton Globe reported. for the penalty phase of
Palladion Services LLC, lanos and Dr. Richard Field. measure.” Employees said Tuesday the trial, a proceeding that
which provides concierge His attorney entered not- “However, we want to re- that Bolanos was particu- could last weeks.
and security services, said guilty pleas on his behalf member Richard and Lina larly talented at putting Sierra disappeared on
it hired Bampumim Teixeira during his arraignment for who they were, not how children and their parents her way to a high school
in October 2015 after per- Monday at the hospital they died,” it said. “We will at ease. bus stop on the morning
forming background and where he is recovering remember and celebrate “If any of my three children of March 16, 2012, and a
reference checks, which from gunshot wounds suf- their passion, gentility, and were ever to need anything search was launched that
were clean. fered during a standoff extraordinary kindness for- with anesthesia, I would put afternoon after she failed
The company said Teixeira with police. ever.” Colleagues of Bo- them in her hands,” said to show up for class. Po-
worked at the condo more Responding officers found lanos, who worked as a Dr. Christopher Hartnick, lice tracked and found her
than a year ago for about the victims bound and pediatric anesthesiologist who worked closely with cellphone in a field near
three weeks. His employ- dead. A black bag of jew- at Massachusetts Eye and Bolanos.q her home the next day.q