San Diego
A drifter who faces a record number of child molestation charges in San Diego County will go on trial Nov. 18 to determine if he is competent to stand trial.
Richard Ernest Howard, 41, who was living in Chula Vista under an assumed name, was granted the trial Thursday by Superior Court Judge Herbert Exarhos.
Howard has pleaded not guilty to 350 charges--a record in San Diego County--which stem from alleged sexual assaults against 15 girls who were 3 to 12 years old.
Deputy Dist. Atty. John D. Williams has said that, if convicted of all 350 counts, Howard could be sentenced to a maximum of 633 years in state prison.
Howard also faces molestation charges in Kitsap County, Wash., and is under investigation in Las Cruces, N.M.
Evidence presented at Howard’s preliminary hearing indicated that he molested the girls in motel rooms, movie theaters and vacant fields.
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.
