Trial Ordered for Suspect in Santa Ana Girl’s Slaying

A Los Angeles man has been ordered to stand trial in Orange County Superior Court in last year’s kidnap and murder of a 9-year-old Santa Ana girl.

Richard Lucio DeHoyos, 31, was arrested in April in San Antonio, Tex., in the slaying of Nadia Puente, who disappeared in March on her way home from school. Her body was found in a trash can the next day in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. She had been sexually molested and slain.

At the time of his arrest, DeHoyos told reporters that he had killed the girl inside a Santa Ana hotel while he was high on cocaine.

Milton C. Grimes, DeHoyos’ attorney said his client will enter a plea of not guilty at a Feb. 2 arraignment. A trial date will be scheduled at the arraignment.

Orange County Municipal Court Judge Gary P. Ryan on Monday ordered DeHoyos to stand trial and scheduled the arraignment.

Grimes said he may use an insanity defense. He also said he is investigating whether reporters had been granted improper access to DeHoyos when the suspect made the comments about the hotel room and cocaine.

The attorney added there is reason to believe that the girl’s death was not intentional. “From the doctor’s testimony, there is no evidence of blunt trauma other than sexually,” Grimes said.

Besides a murder count, DeHoyos faces charges of kidnaping, rape, sodomy and child molestation.

DeHoyos is being held without bail.