Famalaro Kept Alone in Cell After Inmates’ Threats : Jail: Lawyer for suspect in Huber case asked that his client be protected. Authorities complied. ‘Even criminals don’t accept certain crimes,’ a sheriff’s spokesman said.

Because of safety concerns, murder suspect John J. Famalaro is being housed in a single-person cell and is escorted by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy whenever he leaves it, officials said Thursday.

Famalaro gained notoriety as the accused killer of Denise Huber, a young Newport Beach woman who disappeared in June, 1991. Her nude, handcuffed body was found in July in a freezer stowed inside a stolen rental truck parked at Famalaro’s home in Prescott, Ariz.

The former Lake Forest house painter has received death threats from other inmates since he arrived at the Orange County Jail, according to his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Leonard Gumlia. Gumlia asked the Sheriff’s Department to take special precautions to ensure Famalaro’s safety.

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Dan Martini said Famalaro’s background and the crime he is accused of committing were taken into consideration as jailing arrangements were made.

“Even criminals don’t accept certain crimes and this is a very horrific crime,” Martini said. “So there is a protection on both sides, protecting Famalaro’s safety and the safety of others.”

“We are generally very pleased with the situation now,” Gumlia said, adding that his client had a few “rough” days but is doing as well as can be expected.

Famalaro is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 26 in Harbor Municipal Court in Newport Beach. He could face the death penalty if found guilty of murdering Huber.

Famalaro was evaluated by the jail staff and put under a suicide watch following his extradition from Arizona. The special incarceration arrangements are similar to those used in other high-profile cases, officials said.

“This isn’t unusual in these types of cases,” Martini said.

Huber was coming home from a concert when her car broke down on the Corona del Mar Freeway. Authorities said they believe she was abducted and then killed in a Laguna Hills warehouse where Famalaro was staying illegally.