THOUSAND OAKS : Man Says He Didn’t Strangle Friend
A 22-year-old Van Nuys man pleaded not guilty in Ventura County Superior Court on Wednesday to charges that he stabbed and strangled a 37-year-old friend in her Thousand Oaks house.
Timothy John Velasco denied charges of murder and use of a deadly weapon in the death of Ellen Cleary, 37, whose nude body was found in the bathtub on Oct. 4. The county Grand Jury indicted Velasco on the charges Oct. 10, eliminating the need for a preliminary hearing.
Velasco is scheduled to go to trial March 25.
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