‘Mall Murder’ Suspects Face More Charges : Crime: New counts added as grand jury indicts four people accused in series of abductions and slayings last summer.

Four suspects accused of five San Gabriel Valley kidnapings and slayings called the “mall murders” have pleaded not guilty after being indicted by a Los Angeles County Grand Jury.

The four--John Lewis, Vincent Hubbard, Eileen Huber and Robbin Machuca--also entered similar pleas in Los Angeles Superior Court to new criminal charges in the summer crime rampage. The new allegations involve a young couple who were robbed and kidnaped at gunpoint Aug. 14 in West Covina.

The two were abducted from the same automated teller where murder victim Willie Sams, 40, of West Covina was kidnaped four days later. Sams’ body was found in a dumpster at a nearby schoolyard. He had been shot to death.

“It was the same bank, the same ready teller,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. John Urgo.

Hubbard and Lewis allegedly walked up to Juan Rios and Sonia Aguirre, both in their 20s, after Rios drove up to the bank on Amar Road, Urgo said. The two men allegedly pointed guns at the couple, forced their way into the car, demanded that Rios withdraw $200 with his bank card and took the couple’s jewelry, the prosecutor said.

They began driving away with the couple, Urgo said, but two miles away, they stopped and told the couple to get out.

The couple later told investigators that the robbers may have been frightened because a police car passed them, Urgo said.

Rios and Aguirre were among 39 witnesses called before the grand jury during 2 1/2 days of testimony earlier this month.

The couple’s abduction and the forced withdrawal of money followed the pattern used in three of the five killings, Urgo said.

Also called before the panel was Eugene Valdez, a 55-year-old Victorville man who was kidnaped Aug. 9 from a restaurant parking lot in Chino. Valdez was taken by his abductors to Angeles National Forest above Azusa, where he escaped after being robbed.

The four defendants have also been charged in Valdez’s abduction and pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Altogether, 27 criminal counts were filed against the defendants, including murder, robbery, kidnaping, conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Because of the seriousness of the charges, each could be sentenced to death if convicted.

Urgo said Thursday that he decided to bring the case before the grand jury because it would eliminate the need for an expected monthlong preliminary hearing previously set for Dec. 2 in Citrus Municipal Court in West Covina.

But defense attorneys said that using the move violated their clients’ constitutional rights because the grand jury proceedings are secret.

Under Proposition 115, passed by state voters last year, prosecutors can take cases to a grand jury instead of using preliminary hearings in open court.

Attorney David Daugherty, who represents Huber, said he would probably contest the legality of Proposition 115 and file a motion for a preliminary hearing.

But the move is not likely to delay the trial, which could begin in six months.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gary Klausner on Thursday ordered the case sent to Pomona Superior Court, where a trial date will be set Dec. 5.

Parties on both sides of the case are under a gag order and the records have been sealed. Urgo said he will ask to continue the court order to protect witnesses and to avoid extensive publicity that would enable defense attorneys to seek a change of venue.