|
 Isidro Garcia, 41, said little during his arraignment before an
Orange County Superior Court judge in Santa Ana, except to indicate
in Spanish through an interpreter that he understood the proceedings
and was in agreement with his attorney.
Defense lawyer Charles Frisco Jr entered a not guilty plea on his
client's behalf to the charges, including rape, lewd acts on a minor
and kidnapping. Garcia was ordered to return to court for a pretrial
hearing on July 14.
Police say his accuser, now 25, told detectives she endured 10 years
of physical and sexual abuse after being abducted by Garcia, her
mother's live-in boyfriend at the time, from the family's suburban
Santa Ana home in 2004.
 The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was forced into
marriage in 2007 and bore Garcia a daughter in 2012, according to
police. She made her escape by contacting authorities last month
after reaching out to her sister through Facebook, police said.
Frisco has said Garcia and his accuser were a couple, insisted that
he "treated her like a queen" and suggested her allegations were
prompted by marital discord.
Since Garcia's arrest, neighbors who lived near his home in the
community of Bell Gardens told local media they were shocked by the
case and said the woman never appeared to be in distress.
[to top of second column] |
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse on Monday, Frisco again
raised questions about the veracity of the accusations against his
client.
"Why is it that one person hasn't come forward to corroborate her
story?" he asked, adding, "It's not for me to prove that she's
lying. It's up to the district attorney to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt ... the truth of the charge."
Prosecutors have said the charges stem from crimes committed a
decade ago, when the victim was first abducted.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Jim Loney)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
