4 Plead Not Guilty in ‘Mall Murders’ Case
Four suspects accused of five San Gabriel Valley kidnapings and slayings called the “mall murders” pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday after being indicted by the county grand jury.
The four--John Lewis, Vincent Hubbard, Eileen Huber and Robbin Machuca--also pleaded not guilty to new criminal charges added to the alleged summer crime rampage.
The new charges involve a couple robbed and kidnaped Aug. 14 in West Covina at the same automatic teller where, four days later, murder victim Willie Sams of West Covina was abducted.
Hubbard and Lewis allegedly walked up to Juan Rios and Sonia Aguirre as Rios drove up to the automatic teller. Hubbard and Lewis allegedly pointed guns at the couple, forced their way into the car, demanded their jewelry and made Rios withdraw $200 with his ATM card. The two drove away with the couple but let them out after about two miles, possibly because a police car passed by, an official said.
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