2 Teen-Agers Arraigned in Fatal Knifing at Beach
Two New Mexico teen-agers accused of fatally stabbing a Northridge woman at Zuma Beach were arraigned Friday on murder charges and face juvenile court hearings to determine whether they should be tried as adults.
Guillermo Bustos, 16, and Michael Loretto, 17, were charged with the May 28 slaying of Jacqueline Kirkham, 43, before Judge Lawrence J. Mira in Malibu Municipal Court. They did not enter pleas pending the outcome of their Sylmar Juvenile Court hearing, which has not yet been scheduled, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Harvey Giss.
“We expect to be able to try them as adults,” Giss said after the arraignment.
If convicted of murder as adults, the two could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Giss said. Because they were under 18 at the time of the crime, they could not be sentenced to death, he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
