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. He never returned home. @britishvogue @buzzfeed & ! Any hopes, any dreams I had, theyre gone, she says. Others, suffering from mental illness or addiction, slipped away from. Published: 21:42 BST, 24 November 2020 | Updated: 21:56 BST, 24 November 2020. This is him. She is testifying against Astaphan as part of a plea deal. Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department also assisted. Astaphan's defendant, 20-year-old Sonita Heng, has been charged with one count of accessory after the fact, officials said. I AM TEO TORRES. 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. Her attorney declined to answer questions. One read, I want you to act like Juan was your son.. . The search would take her to homeless encampments on skid row, to the steps of City Hall in protest, to remote corners of Southern California and to the dark underbelly of the citys marijuana industry. Los Angeles County Assistant District Attorney Habib Balian appeared for the people, and Larson Hahm, a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, represented Astaphan. Ethan & Evan. 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! The circumstances of his capture were unclear, said Deputy Dist. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Heng had returned to the country a week earlier, alone. Hernandez body was found on Nov. 15, 2020, using cell tower evidence to track the route taken to the Mojave desert. Father dies eight days after getting stuck in indoor cave at tourist attraction: Tragedy at climbing wall as Did the King gift the late Queen's dresser Angela Kelly a house in bid to stop another royal memoir? Co-defendant Sonita Heng (dob 5/10/00) of Harbor City faces one count of accessory after the fact. IT HAS A 70% EFFECTIVE RATE. The Los Angeles Police Departments Robbery-Homicide Division worked with the FBI to investigate Hernandezs disappearance, and their efforts provided detectives with a sequence of events to find Hernandez, police said. Astaphan pleaded not guilty on Monday after being charged with murder, while Heng pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact. Ethan Kedar Astaphan 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. 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. Leading Jewish organisation demands urgent meeting with The Guardian's editor after newspaper is engulfed by STEPHEN POLLARD: It's often the self-proclaimed anti-racists who are the foulest of the lot. 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. Astaphan and Heng were identified as suspects and arrested after LAPD detectives and SWAT officers served search warrants at their homes last Thursday. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Your Privacy Choices/(Opt-Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Both were booked on suspicion of murder. Both were booked on suspicion of murder, but the latter has not been charged with that crime. 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. . EXCLUSIVE Home win! 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. 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. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, was expected to be arraigned sometime Monday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom in the killing of Juan "Cookie" Carlos Hernandez. Her phone rang that evening. The woman was Sonita Heng, Pengs 20-year-old girlfriend. On November 15, LAPD detectives, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents found Hernandez's body buried in a remote area off Afton Canyon Road near Interstate 15 between Barstow and Baker. A man and woman in their 20s were arrested Thursday on suspicion of killing a 21-year-old man whose remains were found in the Barstow area nearly two months after he went missing in South Los Angeles. 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 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. [4] He was one of 3,781 people reported missing last year in Los Angeles. Hernandez had last texted his mom to say hed be home from work that night but he never returned. On Sept. 22, 2020, 21-year-old El Camino College engineering student Juan Carlos Hernandez left from his home on Adams Blvd. But, Regulators seize First Republic in 3rd bank failure, 2 arrested after missing South L.A. 21-year-olds, He couldnt just have disappeared: South L.A. mom, 2 dead, 2 injured after single-car crash in Oxnard, Hiker finds skeletal remains in San Bernardino County, More rain, mountain snow moves into for SoCal, Man arrested in fatal hit-and-run in Irwindale, Family honors Gabriel Isiguzo on death anniversary, Texas baseball player hit by gunfire during game, 9 injured, 2 critically after crash in San Bernardino, Warriors vs. Lakers playoffs: Start times, TV schedule, 700 dogs saved from puppy mill; 53 can be adopted, I.E. Astaphan and Heng were arrested on . Both were ordered to return to court Dec. 1 . The San Bernardino County coroners office positively identified Hernandez and ruled his death a homicide. And he knew she needed her car to get to work. The LAPD hasnt disclosed a connection between the suspects and Hernandez. 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 isn't the outcome we ever wanted or thought we'd get," Hernndez's mother, Yajaira Hernndez, told the Times on Thursday. TEO: RESEARCHERS SAFER PATIENTS GIVEN TWO FULL DOSES A MONTH APART HAD AN EFFECTIVENESS OF 62% EFFECTIVENESS. The caller identified himself as E, the owner of the dispensary. Unseen family photos of Charles with Prince George and Princess Charlotte are Saboteurs derail Russian freight train with explosives 37 miles from Ukraine and destroy power cables in 'I've been stuck in A&E since 10.30pm last night please just pay NHS staff fairly': Tearful A&E patient Ballet princess! An officer at the Los Angeles Police Departments Southwest station took a missing persons report over the phone, but seemed dismissive of her worries: Hes an adult, she remembers him saying. Juan Hernandez, 21, was reporting missing by his family Sept. 22 after not returning home from work. Peng was apprehended last week in Istanbul and is being held pending extradition to Los Angeles on a murder charge. And she led him to his death. It is unclear at this time what led law enforcement officials to that location. Astaphan and Heng had been arrested that morning. Ethan Kedar Astaphan, 27, of San Gabriel faces one count of murder while Sonita Heng, 20, of Harbor City was charged with a count of accessory after the fact, according to a Los Angeles County District Attorneys news release. Didier described Peng as a bad egg.. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. But I still feel blessed that we found his body.. Students demand better access to care. On Sunday, human remains were discovered in a shallow grave along Afton Canyon Road east of Interstate 15 north of Barstow. 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. TEMPERATURES HOLDING YOUR 40 IN SACRAMENTO -- NEAR 40 IN SACRAMENTO, 46 PLACERVILLE AND FAIRFIELD. Yet there was no footage before Sept. 23, the day after Hernndezs son had vanished. He made no effort to intervene, but rather walked to the back of the dispensary, closed the door, then returned to continue watching. It wasnt just that you murdered our loved ones. 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. ': Ohio Man Sentenced for Murdering Family of 8, Idaho Murder Victims' Families React to Suspect's Arrest: 'Such a Blessing and Relief', Suspect Arrested in Killings of Four University of Idaho Students, Ex-Border Patrol Agent Convicted in the Deaths of 4 South Texas Women: Report, Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Bury, Conceal Body of Murdered Ft. It couldn't be determined Thursday evening if they had lawyers who could speak on their behalf. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KCRA-TV. Ethan Astaphan, 27, charged with murder, and Sonita Heng, 20, charged with accessory after the fact in the death of Juan Carlos Hernandez Hernandez, 21, Los Angeles student and worker at a. All rights reserved, Man Who Vanished From South LA in September Found Dead, 2 Under Arrest, California Home Pot Delivery Can Still Continue For Now, Marijuana Can Be Harmful for Heart Patients, But Improves Some Risk Factors, Studies Show, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', Post-Prom Fight in Palmdale Ends in Gunfire, How SNL Star Ego Nwodim Brought Lisa From Temecula' to Life, Man Who Lost Wife and Son in Texas Mass Shooting Tells His Story. On Thursday, police arrested 27-year-old Ethan Astaphan and 20-year-old Sonita Heng on suspicion of murder in connection with Hernandez's death. Astaphan and Heng are being held on a $10 million bond, according to online jail records. Fashion Model. On Thursday, police arrested 27-year-old Ethan Astaphan and 20-year-old Sonita Heng on suspicion of murder in connection with Hernandez's death. Her car had been sitting empty, engine running, for hours. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. Hes a great kid, smart, kind, great personality, always helpful, his mother, Yajaira Hernandez, told KTLA a few days after his disappearance. When Hernndez asked about her son, the stores employees werent helpful. Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, were arrested in Hernndez's murder following searches of their residences. The weeks slid by. 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 interest, according to police. It is unclear if they have obtained legal representation who can speak on their behalf or if they entered a plea at this time. 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. According to court records, Astaphan continues to be held on a $10 million bail, while Heng was released on her own recognizance in January. Ethan Kedar Astaphan is on trial as one of three defendants accused in the alleged murder of El Camino College engineering student Juan Carlos Hernandez. in South Central Los Angeles. And hard as it was, she reminded herself that he was capable of making his own decisions. He told Hernndez the security cameras at the shop provided only a live feed, so there was no recording that might offer some clues of what happened. Astaphan has pleaded not guilty to murder. 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. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Sonita Heng, 20, of Harbor City,. Authorities haven't released a possible motive or other details about the killing. 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. (LAPD). If convicted as charged, Astaphan faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. Peoples heard the hatch of the vehicle fall open, then grunting noises men make when they are carrying something heavy. Her sons 22nd birthday came and went. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. EDITORS NOTE: Title was fixed for clarity Sept. 13. Anyone with information was asked to call detectives Jaramillo and Hammer at 213-486-6840. Sonita Heng, 20, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact, also entered a not guilty plea. 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. The trial of the accused in the killing of El Camino College student Juan Carlos Hernandez is expected to commence on Sept. 6. The two were arrested under suspicion of murder on Nov. 19, four days after investigators found Hernndez's remains in a shallow grave dug off Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County, PEOPLE previously reported. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. 19 December. The 10 most expensive zip codes in the U.S. With each tip, her heart leaped: This is it. Unless there are further postponements, the trial will start on or before September 6. Knowing her son is not lost, hungry or in pain has brought Hernndez some solace. Astaphan and Heng, the two people detained in connection . He was always very attentive, careful always supporting me in whatever I needed, she said. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. She is testifying against Astaphan as part of a plea deal. Balian declined to discuss a potential motive for the killing. His mother had put up thousands of fliers in hopes of finding her son and subsequently fielded multiple calls for ransom, The Times reported. When she wants to be near him, she goes to Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. Heng faces three years in prison. . or debate this issue live on our message boards. Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, are in custody on suspicion of murdering a community college student who went missing in L.A. and was found dead in a shallow desert grave. THE TEEN WAS NOT HURT. El Caminos student poets slam their way to cash prizes, Memorial and reception for longtime El Camino coach to be open to the public, Warriors baseball walk off in the bottom of 10th against Mt. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. At the time of his disappearance, Hernandez, known to his loved ones as 'Cookie,' was preparing to transfer to the University of Southern California to pursue an engineering degree. They were being held on $10 million bail each. Witnesses testified during the hearing that Astpahan, who was Hernandez supervisor, along with the dispensary owner, Weijia Peng, killed Hernandez and dumped his body in a remote section of the Mojave Desert. Rallies Planned to Mark May Day in Downtown, Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, Vehicle Hits Pole in Mid-Wilshire Area; Man Killed, One Person Killed in Fiery Hacienda Heights Crash, JPMorgan Chase Bank Agrees to Purchase First Republic Bank, Police Arrest 24 During DUI Checkpoint in Riverside, Coroner IDs Man Who Jumped or Fell From Freeway Overpass. 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. All three of the small, shabby storefronts were unlicensed and operating illegally, a detective wrote in an affidavit. Astaphan, of San Gabriel, faces one count of murder. Seeing it, Peoples realized he had heard something the night Hernndez went missing. The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division worked with the FBI to investigate Hernandez's disappearance, and "their efforts provided detectives with a sequence of events to find Hernandez,'' according to a police statement. The defendants are each being held on $10 million bail, according to jail records. She said her son hadnt called or texted family or friends, something that was out of character for him. (Kim McGill | The Union). The cause of death was not released, but police said he appeared to be the victim of a homicide.. Two persons of interest in the case Ethan Astaphan, 27, and 20-year-old Sonita Heng were identified as homicide suspects, according to LAPD. WINTERS POLICE SAY THE TEENAGER WAS OUTSIDE A POLICE DEPARTMENT ARMED WITH A KNIFE. 2 charged in killing of SoCal marijuana dispensary worker. Please enter valid email address to continue. Her gut told her something was wrong. His bed was empty and still made up. 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!' Also gone, she realized with mounting alarm, was her gray Honda Civic, which her son had driven the previous day to his job at a marijuana dispensary in South Los Angeles. The video showed a man and a woman in the dispensary at 6:34 a.m. on Sept. 23. Authorities have not commented on whether the suspects knew the victim, nor have they revealed a possible motive in the case. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department Search and Rescue Team found Hernandezs remains Sunday in a shallow grave along Afton Canyon Road, east of Interstate 15, north of Barstow, police said. Astaphan's defendant, 20-year-old. A San Gabriel man was charged Monday with murdering a 21-year-old community college student whose remains were found in a remote area of the Mojave Desert nearly two months after he went missing in South Los Angeles. Sonita Heng, 20, of Harbor City, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact, also entered a not guilty plea. When she wasnt working, she spent countless hours taping up fliers across Los Angeles, and in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties as well. People soon called and texted, claiming they had kidnapped her son and demanding a ransom for his return. When Hernndez reported the calls to the police, her sons case was handed to Jennifer Hammer and Daniel Jaramillo, detectives in the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division who specialize in kidnappings, extortions and other complex crimes. Detectives arrested two people Thursday in connection with Hernndez's death, Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, according to the LAPD. A subsequent investigation by the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division determined that the persons who tried to extort the missing man's family had no connection to his disappearance. WHEN THE SHOT WAS JUST HALF A DOSE, THAT GREW TO 90%. The lots gate was sliding open. 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. His car was found two days later in the 6400 block of South Figueroa Street, nearly three miles away. She died on 19 December [3] 739. We've received your submission. 'Grandpa King is adorable!' During the warrants, Astaphan and Heng were arrested for suspicion of murder, police said. 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 dispensarys owner, Weijia Peng, who went by James and Jay. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. I wish I had the knowledge, power or money to do more.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, She was his best friend. The following suspects were arrested for 187 PC/Murder and booked at LAPD Jail: Ethan Astaphan, 27 years and Sonita Heng, 20 years" ADVERTISEMENT Hernandez was a student of El Camino College in California was last seen leaving his job at a marijuana dispensary in South Los Angeles on the night of September 22 and had sent his mother a text . Armed with a search warrant, the detectives forced open the door of VIP Collective LA early in the morning on Sept. 29. Still, they worried that Hernndezs son had been the victim of foul play. 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. . 2,066 posts. He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his master's degree and PhD from Princeton University (co-supervised by Diarmaid MacCulloch). 615 following. I wish I could do more. team, served search warrants Thursday at the homes of Ethan Astaphan, 27, and Sonita Heng, 20, who were described as "persons of interest'' in the case. Digital Original: Juan Carlos Hernndez's remains were found by authorities in a "shallow" grave east on Nov. 15, according to the LAPD. Editors Note: Added featured image on May 12, 2022, at 12:41 a.m. El Caminos student poets slam their way to cash prizes, Memorial and reception for longtime El Camino coach to be open to the public, Warriors baseball walk off in the bottom of 10th against Mt. Shivering in her jail cell and huddled with fellow prisoners for warmth, Ahn Ei Sook (later known by her married name, Esther Ahn Kim) heard moaning from a nearby cell. Jennifer Hammer, a Los Angeles County Police Department detective in the Robbery-Homicide Division, testified in the preliminary hearing that she recovered cell phone records from Astaphans phone which was taken at his arrest on Nov. 19, 2020. I'm a nanny and these two simple steps will guarantee your child sleeps for a full 12 hours every night. Died. VIP Collective LA was one of three pot shops on the same block of Western Avenue between 81st and 82nd streets. Her sons remains had been found at the foot of an embankment off the side of a desert road. 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. The body of Juan Carlos Hernndez, 21, was discovered in a shallow grave dug off Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County. Samthann / svhn /, [1] modernised spelling Samhthann or Samthana, is an Irish folk saint, purportedly a Christian nun and abbess in Early Christian Ireland.