Judge sets 2018 trial date in nearly 2-year-old murder case
The Superior Court judge presiding over the case of one of the suspects charged in connection to the murder of a Honduran national set a trial date for early next year, which would be more than two years after the killing happened.
Francisco Hernandez Serrano, who is from El Salvador, has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Emmanuel Alvarenga-Navarrete, of Salinas, Calif.
Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the charges and said he was not present when the murder occurred and only helped Jose Sorto, the other defendant charged in the case, after he felt he had to do so to ensure his own safety.
The prosecutor, however, believes not only was Hernandez present at the murder, he also allegedly devised the plan to conceal the murder and was responsible for clearing the scene and destroying evidence. He also was supposedly seen dumping the victim’s car in another location and cleaning it while wearing gloves.
During the Wednesday hearing in Yuma County Superior Court, Superior Court Judge David Haws set the trial for 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2018, saying he expected the proceeding could take about a month. The trial will be on Feb. 15th, 16th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 27th, and into March on the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 8th and 9th.
Prior to setting the date, Judge Haws asked prosecutor Karolyn Kaczorowski, of the Yuma County Attorney’s Office, how long she thought it would take the state to present its case, to which she replied she would probably need about two weeks. Attorney Ray Vacca, of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office, who represents Hernandez, said about a week when asked.
Judge Haws also scheduled Feb. 8, 2018, as the day potential jurors would be summoned to the Justice Center to fill out the jury questionnaires, Jan. 5, 2018 as the date for which all motions and list of witnesses are to be filed, and a final pre-trial hearing for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 17.
On Jan. 20, 2016, deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff’s office responded to a report of a deceased male in the area of Avenue 9¼E and Highway 95.
Once on scene, deputies were able to locate the body in a field approximately 300 yards north of Highway 95 next to a field access road. The body was later identified as Alvarenga-Navarrete. He had been fatally shot.
Sorto, whose trial is in January 2018, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit firstdegree murder. He is from El Salvador also.
According to court records, it is the defense’s position that Hernandez and a roommate came out of their home after hearing shots fired. Once outside, Sorto allegedly pointed a pistol at Hernandez’s roommate and told him to put Alvarenga-Navarrete’s body in the trunk of his car.
The roommate refused and as he turned to walk away, Sorto fired a pistol at him twice, but it misfired both times.
Hernandez, according to the prosecution, also allegedly told the other roommates to move out, provided them with a cover story, willingly put the body in the truck, and had secretly recorded Sorto talking about the murder.
He has also been charged with forgery, possession of forgery instruments, offering forged instruments and three counts of taking the identity of another person in an unrelated case, in which he is being represented by attorney Cid Kallen. He will be tried on these charges following the murder trial.