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Paul Flores, who attended California Polytechnic University at
San Luis Obispo with Smart, 19, was charged with a single count
of first-degree murder. He is now 44.
The suspect's 80-year-old father, Ruben Flores, was charged with
being an accessory after the fact and accused of helping his son
hide Smart's body. Her remains have never been found.
"These charges mark a major milestone," San Luis Obispo County
District Attorney Dan Dow said in a written statement. "Today,
we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her
family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County."
The charges mark the first time that prosecutors have disclosed
their theory of a motive in the long-unsolved crime.
Attorneys for Flores, the last known person to see Smart alive
and labeled by police a "person of interest" in the case during
the quarter-century it has been under investigation, have said
they do not comment on pending cases.
An attorney for Ruben Flores told Reuters on Tuesday that his
client was not guilty and was entitled to a presumption of
innocence.
In announcing the charges against Paul Flores, who was arrested
on Tuesday at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of San Pedro,
prosecutors asked the public to provide information about other
crimes they say he may have committed, including assault.
"Flores was known to frequent bars in the San Pedro area from
2005 to present," Dow said.
Smart was last seen walking to her dormitory shortly before 2
a.m. on May 25, 1996. She was returning from an off-campus
party. Paul Flores told investigators that he left the party
with her but that they parted company about a block from her
dorm.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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