San Diego
After hearing 13 witnesses, a Municipal Court judge ordered a 17-year-old illegal alien held for trial on charges that he killed actor David Huffman in Balboa Park in February.
Huffman, 40, was stabbed to death Feb. 27 while chasing a man who had attempted to burglarize a motor home in the park.
Genaro Samano Villanueva has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including murder, burglary, attempted burglary and interfering with a police officer.
At the hearing before Judge J. Richard Haden, Sgt. Ted Armijo of the San Diego Police Department testified that Villanueva confessed to the slaying while being questioned after his arrest. Armijo said Villanueva told him that as he ran from a motor home he had broken into at the park, a man grabbed him around the waist. Villanueva said he stabbed the man numerous times with a screwdriver, jumped over a fence at the park and ran home, Armijo testified.
Lonzo Loftin, a teacher who found Huffman’s body in a canyon at the park, testified that he took money out of Huffman’s pocket and distributed it to transients nearby.
Villanueva’s arraignment has been set for July 22 in San Diego Superior Court.
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