LAKEPORT — A judge Friday continued for a week the murder trial of Alejandro Aurelio Arias because of defense counsel”s unavailability for Wednesday”s original start date.
Arias, 30, remains in custody at the Lake County Jail and faces four felony charges, including second-degree murder, for allegedly causing the September 2009 car crash that killed Charlane Hill, 41.
Arias” public defender, Komnith Moth, filed a continuance motion asking the court to reschedule the trial because he is involved in an ongoing preliminary hearing under way in Clearlake, according to senior deputy district attorney John Langan.
Moth represents one of three men charged with murder and attempted murder for the June 18 shooting in Clearlake that killed Skylar Rapp, 4, and injured others. The preliminary hearing in that case is expected to continue through the coming week.
Judge Richard C. Martin granted the request Friday morning and set Arias” trial to begin Oct. 13 in a courtroom to be decided during an assignment hearing Oct. 7, Langan said.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
