Suspect in ’98 Slaying of Shopkeeper Is Released

A suspect in the June slaying of Santa Paula shopkeeper Mirna Regollar was set to be released from custody Thursday night after prosecutors failed to file charges in the case.

Alfredo Hernandez and a second suspect, Jose “Pepe” Castillo, both 21, were arrested a week ago at their homes in Santa Paula in connection with last summer’s fatal shooting at Junior’s Market, owned by Regollar’s family.

Authorities suspect Hernandez fatally shot 25-year-old Regollar, a nursing student and mother of two, in the head and chest during a botched robbery. Castillo is a suspected accomplice in the case.

Castillo also remains the prime suspect in the 1993 slaying of 17-year-old Jesse Strobel, a Ventura High School student stabbed to death on his way home from work at his father’s Pierpont pizzeria.

Although charges in the Strobel case have been filed in Juvenile Court against Castillo, who was 15 at the time of the slaying, prosecutors have not filed murder charges against either Castillo or Hernandez in the market shooting.

Hernandez was scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court last week for an arraignment, but prosecutors requested additional time to investigate the case. The matter was postponed.

On Tuesday, Hernandez was rearrested in County Jail, where he was being held without bail and an arraignment was set for Thursday.

But appearing before a judge Thursday afternoon, Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Calvert said charges still had not been filed. Because an inmate cannot be held in custody for more than 48 hours without being given a chance to enter a plea to the charges, Hernandez was ordered released from jail.

Outside the courtroom, Calvert would say only that the case remained under investigation. He said authorities did not intend to immediately rearrest Hernandez. Dist. Atty. Michael Bradbury’s secretary said there would be no further comment on the matter.

Santa Paula Police Cmdr. Bob Gonzales defended his department’s initial arrest of Hernandez in the 10-month-old homicide case. The break came after a police source linked Hernandez and Castillo to Regollar’s slaying and identified Castillo as Strobel’s killer.

Gonzales said his department is continuing to work with prosecutors to investigate Hernandez’s suspected involvement in the shooting.

“I still believe we have a good case against the individual,” he said. “They want some more rock-turning.”

Both Gonzales and Ventura Police Sgt. Bob Anderson said the Strobel homicide investigation would not be affected by Hernandez’s release.

“The Strobel case will stand on its own,” Gonzalez said. Castillo is scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court May 21 on that matter.