Trial Adjourned in Death of American
An Italian went on trial on charges of killing his Southern California girlfriend in 1998 after he kidnapped their daughter, and the hearing was adjourned until October, a lawyer said.
Carlo Ventre is charged with killing Toni Dykstra in his Rome apartment.
Dykstra, a paralegal who lived in San Pedro, had traveled to Italy to retrieve the child, Santina. The day before they were to return home, Dykstra, 29, was found dead on the floor of Ventre’s apartment.
Ventre’s lawyer, Roberto Leonardo, said his client maintained that he had acted in self-defense.
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