Father of Man Charged in Slaying Also a Suspect

A twisted murder case got stranger Tuesday when authorities said the father of a man charged with the throat-slashing death of a 9-year-old Lake Tahoe girl is now a suspect.

Thomas Soria Sr., 39, whose son, Thomas Jr., 19, is in jail on suspicion of killing Krystal Steadman on March 19, has not been charged in her death. But Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini said, “We are now considering him a suspect in that case.”

“There are indications that he is involved, and we can safely say that we are certainly pursuing that,” the sheriff said.

Pierini also said that the elder Soria was booked Monday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in October, and that officers “are investigating the possibility that other sexual assaults may have occurred.”

Both men face court appearances today. The son, who had a charge of aiding and abetting in the October sexual assault case added to his murder and kidnapping charges, is being held without bail. The father’s bail was set at $500,000.

In the sexual assault case, Pierini alleged that the son, a part-time youth club employee, took the 15-year-old to the Sorias’ apartment and, with his father, convinced her that the elder Soria “would die if she refused to have sex with him.”

Tuesday’s developments coincided with a memorial service for Krystal Steadman in nearby South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Don Bloom, 80, a friend of the Steadman family who drove from Gustine, Calif., to attend the service, said he was shocked when he learned of the new charges.

“When I heard that, I wanted to vomit,” Bloom said. “The abuse of children is just incomprehensible to me.”