SALINAS

Slay suspect Ruelas gets trial date

A Sept. 9 trial date has been set for one of the brothers charged with the 1997 carjacking and slaying of Monterey High School student Kristopher Olinger.

Jacobo Ruelas, 34, has been in Monterey County Jail awaiting trial since his arrest and indictment in 2006. He was in the midst of jury selection in April 2012 when his attorney fell ill and was forced to withdraw.

New defense attorney Andrew Liu has been wading through close to 14,000 pages of evidence preparing for a new jury.

Prosecutor Jeannine Pacioni said she is confident of the new trial date. The hearing is expected to last three weeks, during which Olinger's survivors will mark the 15th year since his death.

Ruelas' brother, Angel, 33, has pleaded guilty to the murder and is awaiting sentencing after Jacobo Ruelas' trial.

SALINAS

Man gets 15 to life in sex assault on girl

A Salinas man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old female relative.

Rodolfo Barreto, 34, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault on a minor in November after a six-week trial.

Former Monterey County Judge Adrienne Grover, now a justice on the 6th District Court of Appeal, presided over the trial and handed down the sentence, which was the mandatory term for the charge.

Barreto will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

On July 4, 2010, Barreto sexually assaulted

Advertisement
the girl and forced her into oral copulation in his Las Palmas home. She reported the attack the next day to her mother.

SALINAS

Immigration leader to speak at Hartnell

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., a leader in the immigration reform movement, speaks at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Western Stage of Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave.

Seating is limited. Attendees must obtain tickets in advance. The deadline to request a ticket is noon Friday.

For information, call 325-8575.