Local News in Brief : Mistrial Declared in Child Molestation Case
After a San Fernando Superior Court jury could not reach a verdict in more than three days of deliberation, Judge Robert D. Fratianne on Tuesday declared a mistrial in the case of a 54-year-old Pasadena man accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl from Canyon Country.
Jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked, with 10 in favor of convicting Jose Santiago Palacios on three of six charges and the other two favoring acquittal.
In the trial, which began July 11, Palacios was accused of molesting the girl in Canyon Country between September, 1983, and July, 1984.
The prosecution’s case was based on the girl’s diary, testimony from medical experts and the girl’s testimony. Testimony showed the defendant, an accountant, was a friend of the girl’s family.
A retrial was scheduled to begin Monday.
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