DEL TORO WON'T FACE DEATH PENALTY.Byline: EUGENE TONG Staff Writer A former Los Angeles fire captain charged with torture and murder in the slaying of a woman whose body was found near his Eagle Rock home will not face the death penalty if he's convicted, officials said Thursday. Prosecutors announced their decision during the arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted of David Del Toro Toro may refer to:
Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the , a 42-year-old acquaintance who prosecutors said was beaten and strangled stran·gle v. stran·gled, stran·gling, stran·gles v.tr. 1. a. To kill by squeezing the throat so as to choke or suffocate; throttle. b. . Del Toro, 50, pleaded not guilty to torture and murder with torture, a special enhancement that made him eligible for the death penalty. But Del Toro, who retired from the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. after his arrest, did not fit the profile of someone for whom prosecutors would press a capital case, Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace said. "He just did not fit the criteria of someone we would (seek) the death penalty against, including background, prior record, (and) circumstances of the crime," he said after the hearing. Though the crime itself was heinous, Grace said a capital case is usually reserved for "the worst of the worst." Del Toro now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted, and he remains jailed without bail. The next court hearing is set for April 18. "Not seeking the death penalty is the right thing to do in this case," said Joseph Gutierrez, Del Toro's attorney. "Del Toro is the story of a man who rose above his beginnings to become a fire captain. He has devoted his life to public service." Police found Flores' nude body early Aug. 16 in the 5100 block of Vincent Avenue. They followed a trail of blood and tire marks from the scene to Del Toro's front porch less than a mile away. According to court filings and testimony to the grand jury that indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. Del Toro in November, Flores suffered a broken jaw and other facial injuries facial injuries, n.pl trauma to the face and its associated structures, most frequently from traffic accidents, contact sports, and domestic conflicts. before she was strangled during a visit to Del Toro's home. Investigators said he then attempted to transport the body, but it fell out of his pickup truck's bed and got lodged in the rear wheel well. Investigators said he removed the body, but it left a pool of blood and created a trail from his driveway to where Flores' body was recovered. eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com (818) 546-3304 |
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