. EDITORS NOTE: Title was fixed for clarity Sept. 13. Astaphan faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. It wasnt just that you murdered our loved ones. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, is currently facing one count of murder, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced in a press release on Monday. Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, were arrested early Thursday and booked for allegedly killing 21-year-old Juan Hernndez after he was last seen alive Sept. 22, the Los Angeles. DEIRDRE: LET US HEAD TO EILEEN JAVORA. Two people have been charged after the body of a slain 21-year-old college student from South Los Angeles was found buried outside Barstow nearly two months after he went missing, prosecutors said Monday. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). At the preliminary hearing, Hernandez coworker, Daniel Romero, gave testimony regarding photos recovered from the dispensarys surveillance camera. In one of the photos, standing to the left of Astaphan and Hernandez is another man that Heng identified during the preliminary hearing as Peng. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, appeared in a downtown courtroom and pleaded not guilty in the killing of Juan "Cookie" Carlos Hernandez, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Two people have been charged in the killing of a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary worker whose body was found in a shallow grave in the Mojave Desert, authorities said Monday.Juan Carlos Hernandez, a 21-year-old college student from South Los Angeles, disappeared on Sept. 22 and his body was found nearly two months later in a remote area between Barstow and Baker.Ethan Astaphan, 27, of San Gabriel was charged Monday with murder and Sonita Heng, 20, of Los Angeles was charged with being an accessory after the fact, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a statement.They were being held on $10 million bail each. Both were ordered to return to court Dec. 1, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Heng, 22, has accepted a plea deal for her role in the murder of Hernandez son. She said her son hadnt called or texted family or friends, something that was out of character for him. Hernndez, a student at El Camino College, was reported missing by family on the night of Sept. 22. Sonita Heng, 20, of Harbor City,. He was one of 3,781 people reported missing last year in Los Angeles. His phone was off. . LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives, with assistance from a SWAT team, served search warrants last Thursday at the homes of Astaphan and Heng, identifying them at the time as ``persons of interest'' and arresting them later that day. Brothers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check for a confirmation email, and then you're all set with MyNewsLA.com! Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, appeared in a downtown courtroom and pleaded not guilty in the killing of Juan ``Cookie'' Carlos Hernandez, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. It wasn't clear if they had attorneys to speak for them.Astaphan faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Yajaira Hernandez also shared her perspective on crimes like this. I think theres no such thing as justice We kid ourselves and say were fighting for justice, but in reality, were just fighting for these individuals to obtain punishment, Yajaira Hernandez said. Hernandez attended El Camino College in Torrance and was set to transfer to the University of Southern California and study engineering, according to the Los Angeles Times. This isnt the outcome we ever wanted or thought wed get, the distraught mother told the Times. He thought someone was robbing the dispensary and perhaps stealing its safe, but he didnt hear the sound of metal scraping against asphalt. Authorities have not commented on whether the suspects knew the victim, nor have they revealed a possible motive in the case. The locations of the homes were not immediately available. Astaphan's defendant, 20-year-old. TEO: RESEARCHERS SAFER PATIENTS GIVEN TWO FULL DOSES A MONTH APART HAD AN EFFECTIVENESS OF 62% EFFECTIVENESS. 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Hernandezwent missing after finishing work at a marijuana dispensary on September 22, Shortly after Hernandez was reported missing, someone tried to extort his family in exchange for his safe return, but police said it was a hoax. or debate this issue live on our message boards. Sonita Heng, 22, identified the third man in the photo as Weijia Peng, her boyfriend and owner of the V.I.P. Great Expectations viewers slam BBC for CHANGING ending of the Dickens From breathtaking beaches to epic waterfalls and lost valleys: Fascinating new guidebook bursting with From being born a man to Queen of the Mountains: Trans cyclist romps to victory in elite in women's race Cookery's ultimate hellraiser dead at 46: British Masterchef host Jock Zonfrillo lost his virginity at 12, Pictured: 'Much-loved son', 35, stabbed to death in knife rampage outside Cornwall nightclub which left Why you DON'T need to ask your in-laws' permission to propose! Hernandez, a student at El Camino College, was reported missing on the night of September 22, after finishing an afternoon shift at theat VIP Collective dispensary on the corner of Western Avenue and 81st Street. If convicted as charged, Astaphan faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. Heng also testified at the preliminary hearing that Astaphan and Peng dragged Hernandez body from the back of the dispensary into an SUV and injected him with Ketamine as she drove to a desolate section of the Mojave Desert near Akton, California. On Sept. 22, 2020, 21-year-old El Camino College engineering student Juan Carlos Hernandez left from his home on Adams Blvd. 'Hes a great kid, smart, kind, great personality, always helpful,' his mother, Yajaira Hernandez, told KTLA in late September. Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, were booked into jail on suspicion of murder and were being held on $10 million bail each, according to inmate records. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Anyone with information was asked to call detectives Jaramillo and Hammer at 213-486-6840. Arraignment is scheduled today in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. His mother had put up thousands of fliers in hopes of finding her son and subsequently fielded multiple calls for ransom, The Times reported. Peng's then girlfriend, 22-year-old Sonita Heng, is accused of being an accomplice. Yajaira Hernandez holds her cellphone with a photo of a cross placed where her son Juan Carlos Hernandez was found dead along Afton Road in the Mojave Desert. Balian declined to discuss a potential motive for the killing. SAC, Top 5 Things to try at Caf Camino and El Cappuccino, El Camino to hold emergency evacuation drill, Turnout shy in student government election, Meta-Majors Center aims to connect majors, services, clubs, El Caminos Eid al-Fitr prayer leaves feelings of unity and disappointment, Warriors beach volleyball team scores back-to-back wins to finish regular season, Student Health Services offer weekly mental health workshops, The student news site of El Camino College, Trial of Ethan Astaphan has possible start date Sept. 6. It took a few weeks, but on Oct. 29, he handed the detectives evidence that made clear what had happened to Juan Carlos Hernndez. Fashion Model. Many were found or reappeared when they were ready. Detectives suspected there was more footage on the dispensarys cameras that the LAPD technicians werent able to recover. A GoFundMe started to help the family with expenses has raised $26,418 of its $30,000 goal as of Tuesday. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, is currently facing one count of murder, . The cause of death was not released, but police said he "appeared to be the victim of a homicide.". Knowing her son is not lost, hungry or in pain has brought Hernndez some solace. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Astaphan faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Detectives arrested two people Thursday in connection with Hernndez's death, Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, according to the LAPD. Yajaira Hernandez holds a photo of her son, El Camino College student Juan Hernandez, 21, at the #SurvivorsSpeak rally in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 26. They managed to extract a video file someone had tried to destroy. If found guilty, he may serve the possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The police described his account of that night in a search warrant affidavit. Ethan Astaphan and Sonita Heng were arrested Thursday in connection with the slaying of 21-year-old Juan Carlos Hernandez, a student at El Camino College in Torrence who vanished on Sept. 22, the. Working off an anonymous tip submitted to a police hotline, the detectives identified the man in the video as Ethan Kedar Astaphan, a bodyguard for the dispensary's owner, Weijia Peng, who went. Her sons remains had been found at the foot of an embankment off the side of a desert road. Many were found or reappeared when they were ready. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, were both charged in the Sept. 22, 2020 death of 21-year-old El Camino College student Juan Carlos Hernndez, a news release by the District Attorney's office read. Authorities haven't released a possible motive or other details about the killing. A man and a woman have been charged with the killing of a 21-year-old Los Angeles marijuana dispensary worker whose body was found in a shallow grave in the Mojave Desert nearly two months after his disappearance. [4] Following the disappearance, the family started a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses as family and friends took unpaid leave to assist in the search. His body was found in a shallow grave dug up along Interstate 15 on Nov. 15, police said. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, is currently facing one count of murder, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced in a press release on Monday. The trial of the accused in the killing of El Camino College student Juan Carlos Hernandez is expected to commence on Sept. 6. Wearing T-shirts printed with her sons face, they taped fliers to the metal barricades on the steps of City Hall and marched carrying signs. After the iPad, this is the next best tablet. Still, they worried that Hernndezs son had been the victim of foul play. They were being held on $10million bail each. On Sunday, human remains were discovered in a shallow grave along Afton Canyon Road east of Interstate 15 north of Barstow. The last call he had received was at 10:25 p.m. on the night he disappeared, from the same number E had used to call his mother. Hernandez had last texted his mom to say hed be home from work that night but he never returned. Juan Hernandez, 21, was reporting missing by his family Sept. 22 after not returning home from work. The LAPD hasnt disclosed a connection between the suspects and Hernandez. Astaphan and Heng were identified as suspects and arrested after LAPD detectives and SWAT officers served search warrants at their homes last Thursday. When she wasnt working, she spent countless hours taping up fliers across Los Angeles, and in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well. Mother of the UK's most premature twins who were given ZERO chance of survival says they are going from More than 12 pubs, restaurants or bars shut EVERY DAY in Britain last year as rampant inflation and soaring Rishi Sunak could bring back Help to Buy as Tories try to spike Labour attack over home ownership ahead of SWAG of the dump! Firefighters Discover Man's Body While Battling Apartment Fire in South L.A. Police Investigate No-Hit Shooting in Long Beach, Chance of Showers, Strong Winds Predicted for Riverside County, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. With each tip, her heart leaped: This is it. She taped her sons face on thousands of bus stops and light posts. Astaphan's defendant, 20-year-old Sonita Heng, has been charged with one count of accessory after the fact, officials said. FBI agents alerted them that two weeks earlier, Peng and Heng had purchased same-day tickets to Istanbul, Turkey, by way of Paris and boarded their flight carrying $9,500 in cash. c. 738. She still sees the fliers when she drives through Los Angeles. He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his master's degree and PhD from Princeton University (co-supervised by Diarmaid MacCulloch). Astaphan faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of murder. They were troubled by the fact that someone had tried to remotely access his account on a stock-trading app three days after he disappeared. The defendants are each being held on $10 million bail, according to jail records. WE ARE TRACKING A LITTLE BIT OF FOG. 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They only think for themselves, because thats what that moment was, that moment of rage where they are thinking of their needs, their wants, their desires and not thinking of how that action will impact not only that person, but their whole family and community.. During the warrants, Astaphan and Heng were arrested for suspicion of murder, police said. Cops said Hernandez was the victim of a homicide. Hernndez went that afternoon to VIP Collective LA, the dispensary where for the last six months her son had worked under the table as a budtender. She had worried about his safety when he took the job, but his wages helped pay his tuition. 'This isnt the outcome we ever wanted or thought wed get, but I still feel blessed that we found his body,'Yajaira Hernandes said. Ethan Astaphan, 27, of San Gabriel, and Sonita Heng, 20, of Los Angeles, were arrested by LAPD detectives and SWAT officers last Thursday in connection to the death of Juan Carlos. Invasion of the super rats: '300 million super-rodents' that survive off takeaway scraps and evade poisons Police fraud investigation into SNP 'probing whereabouts of 400,000 bequeathed in people's wills'. Technicians at the LAPDs lab went to work on the cameras and realized someone had tampered with them. Astaphan and Heng, the two people detained in connection . Astaphan and Heng were arrested on . Peng exited the frame seconds before the video ended, leading detectives to conclude in the affidavit that he disabled the camera. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Both were ordered to return to court Dec. 1, when a date is expected to. But I still feel blessed that we found his body.. Unless there are further postponements, the trial will start on or before September 6. WHEN THE SHOT WAS JUST HALF A DOSE, THAT GREW TO 90%. Kelly Clarkson's Home Collection Is Up to 74% Off During Way Day Deals, The Best Wayfair Way Day Deals 2023 Starting at $30, Wayfair's Way Day Sale Includes Up to 60% Off Outdoor Furniture Here's What to Shop ASAP, Amazon Has So Many Good Mother's Day Gifts on Sale Right Now. AT SOME POINT A SHOT WAS FIRED FROM DEPUTIES. "But I still feel blessed that we found his body.". She is testifying against Astaphan as part of a plea deal. 33.9K followers. He was always very attentive, careful always supporting me in whatever I needed, she said. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, were both charged in the Sept. 22, 2020 death of 21-year-old El Camino College student Juan Carlos Hernndez, a news release by the District Attorneys office read. Less than a week after he vanished, someone contacted the family and tried to extort money from them for his safe return, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Before the start of the May 3 hearing, Hernandez mother, Yajaira Hernandez, expressed her exhaustion and frustration with a long process that makes her healing difficult. She left her phone number and asked that the owner call her. And she led him to his death. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KCRA-TV. Your email address will not be published. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's search and rescue team found Hernandez's remains Nov. 15 in a shallow grave along Afton Canyon Road, east of Interstate 15, north of Barstow. No comments have so far been submitted. Astaphan, a citizen of the island of Dominica in the Caribbean, met Peng while living in the New York City area, according to his mother, Connie Didier. But his absence is a hole she does not expect ever to fill. Four days later, investigators arrested Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, on suspicion of Hernndez's murder, according to the release. Judge Lynn Hobbs presided over the hearing in Department 117. They were being held on $10 million bail each. 'Woke' Google bosses ban staff from using terms including 'man hours', 'you guys', 'blacklist' and 'chubby' Do YOU live in Britain's oldest town? And he knew she needed her car to get to work. She did the only things she could: She called the police and she started looking. Astaphan pleaded not guilty on Monday after being charged with murder, while Heng pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact. IT HAS A 70% EFFECTIVE RATE. Seeing it, Peoples realized he had heard something the night Hernndez went missing. Among hundreds of cases being heard on Feb. 28 is the preliminary hearing of Ethan Kedar Astaphan who is accused of killing 21-year-old ECC engineering student Juan Hernandez. The video, which is described in an affidavit an LAPD detective submitted to a judge to obtain a search warrant, showed Astaphan, Peng and Hernndez in the dispensary the night of Sept. 22. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. It couldn't be determined Thursday evening if they had lawyers who could speak on their behalf. It wasnt like her son, a 21-year-old student at El Camino College who hoped to transfer to USC to study engineering, to stay out all night and not tell her. Less than a week after Hernandez was reported missing, the LAPD said that someone contacted the man's family and demanded a ransom in exchange for his safe return. Kate takes Charlotte to watch Cinderella at the Royal Opera House ahead of her 8th Fury at vegan school dinners: Farmers vow to resist council moves to go plant-based by scrapping all meat 'A waste of licence payers' money!' Feast. It is unclear if they have obtained legal representation who can speak on their behalf or if they entered a plea at this time. Two persons of interest in the case Ethan Astaphan, 27, and 20-year-old Sonita Heng were identified as homicide suspects, according to LAPD. He made no effort to intervene, but rather walked to the back of the dispensary, closed the door, then returned to continue watching. Sonita Heng, 20, of Harbor City, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact, also entered a not guilty plea. The vehicle drove off down an alley. She blanketed Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Reddit with her sons story, signing off each post with the hashtag #helpmefindjuan. Both were ordered to return to court Dec. 1 . And some of the cases began with a missing persons report but ended with a murder charge. I wish I had the knowledge, power or money to do more.. Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen, 17-Year-Old Charged with Murder in Deaths of N.C. 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On Tuesday, May 3, Hernandez went to Clara Shortridge Foltz Courthouse for a hearing in the case of The People of Calif. vs. Sonita Heng. Ethan Astaphan and Sonita Heng were arrested Thursday in connection with the slaying of 21-year-old Juan Carlos Hernandez, a student at El Camino College in Torrence who vanished on Sept. 22, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Hernndez, a student at El Camino College, was. LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives, with assistance from a SWAT team, served search warrants Thursday at the homes of Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, who were "persons of. When she sees one, she pulls over and takes it down. In my case, so my sons death wouldnt be in vain, I would force them to take classes to understand how to become better, so they can realize firsthand the damage they did to us and understand the severity. His car was found two days later in the 6400 block of South Figueroa Street, nearly three miles away. They were booked for allegedly killing 21-year-old Juan Hernndez. The detectives were confident the ransom demands were coming from opportunists who had nothing to do with the disappearance. It. in South Central Los Angeles. As word of his disappearance spread, Hernndez was getting calls at all hours from people who thought theyd seen him. TEO: A TEENAGER UNDER ARREST FOLLOWING A CONFRONTATION WITH POLICE IN YOLO COUNTY. Cluain-Bronach in Meath. The remains were hidden in a shallow grave in the Mojave Desert. HE PULLED OUT A GUN, THROUGH IT INTO THE BUSHES AND RAN. One read, I want you to act like Juan was your son.. Required fields are marked *. She printed fliers with her sons photo and, with the help of family, posted them in the neighborhood around the dispensary. One of the thousands of fliers distributed by Hernndezs family ended up in the hands of Roy Peoples Jr., a homeless man. Any hopes, any dreams I had, theyre gone, she says. DEIRDRE: I AM DEIRDRE FITZPATRICK. Juan Carlos Hernndez went to work one afternoon and never came home. Meanwhile, Heng faces a three-year prison sentence. Astaphan and Heng are being held on a $10 million bond, according to online jail records. Two people have been charged in connection to the murder of Juan Carlos Hernndez, a 21-year-old college student from California whose body was discovered in the Mojave Desert last week, according to authorities. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. According to court records, Astaphan continues to be held on a $10 million bail, while Heng was released on her own recognizance in January. 19 December. If convicted, Astaphan faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison, while Heng could face up to three years in prison, according to prosecutors. She tries to smile, to laugh when she is around her other children, but I feel no form of happiness.. The hearings will be pushed back to Sept. 21, 2021, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Justice Center in Los Angeles, according to the criminal case calendar on the LA Court website. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Hernandez' family reported him missing on the night of September 22,. Detectives arrested two people Thursday in connection with Hernndez's death, Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, according to the LAPD. Believing Hernandez was likely the victim of a crime, police called the FBI for help in the case, according to LAPD. The car he was driving,a 2020 Honda Civic belonging to his mother, was found abandoned a couple of miles from his work two days later. Hernndezs mother knew in her gut something wasnt right when her son didnt return from his job at a marijuana dispensary. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Los Angeles County Assistant District Attorney Habib Balian appeared for the people, and Larson Hahm, a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, represented Astaphan. 50S MIDDAY AND THEN 60S THIS AFTERNOON. Ethan & Evan. THIS IS KCRA 3 NEWS AT 4:00.
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