Editor’s note: The Kristin Smart trial will be covered daily by Mustang News. To stay updated, follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram. After an unexpected two-day delay, the Kristin Smart murder trial resumed Thursday with a statement from Ruben Flores’ defense and testimonies from Smart’s family. Smart disappeared on May 25, 1996 as a Cal […]
Category: Crime
Posted inTop Stories
Opening statements begin for Kristin Smart murder trial
Opening statements for the Kristin Smart murder trial are set to begin Monday morning in Monterey County Superior Court. Paul Flores is charged with Smart’s murder, while his father, Ruben Flores, is charged with accessory after the murder. Both men were charged in April of 2021, almost 25 years after Smart disappeared as a Cal […]
Posted inOpinion
Kristin Smart case update: Pretrial begins June 6, trial set for July
The Kristin Smart murder case – People v. Flores – is set to begin pretrial motions in Monterey County on June 6, according to an online court calendar. The trial will now begin July 6, after being pushed back about a month later than anticipated. Presiding Judge Craig van Rooyen ruled to move forward with […]
Posted inNews
San Luis Obispo Police arrest suspect for attempted kidnapping, assault downtown
San Luis Obispo Police arrested a man suspected of attempting to kidnap a woman downtown on Tuesday, according to a city news release.William Francis, 34, was arrested and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on the charges of obstructing or resisting an officer and being drunk in public. Police said in a news release […]
Posted inNews
Missing and murdered Indigenous people honored in UU: ‘We want Indigenous students to feel heard’
Ethnic studies professor Lydia Heberling had attended an event celebrating Indigenous inclusion in the new Burke Museum in Seattle, WA, where a member of the Duwamish Tribe created pins to give out to attendees. On the pin rests a ribbon made of cedar wood — used as a medicine in Coast Salish tribes — and […]
Posted inNews
Man stabbed in Downtown SLO, suspect arrested
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 1:45 p.m. on April 24 to include that Samuel Greene was arrested for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. A man was stabbed non-fatally at the intersection of Monterey and Chorro Street Thursday evening. The suspect, Samuel Greene, 63, was arrested for suspicion of assault with a […]
Posted inNews
Flores’ trial for murder of Kristin Smart moved to Monterey County
The trial of Paul and Ruben Flores is being moved to Monterey County after Judge Craig van Rooyen decided that the trial would not be fair and impartial in San Luis Obispo County. All parties discussed the possibility of two counties being available for trial, ultimately choosing Monterey. van Rooyen said he reached out to […]
Posted inNews
Vendor booths at Poly Royal Rodeo burglarized, vandalized
Two vendor booths at the Poly Royal Rodeo were allegedly broken into and burglarized early Friday morning, according to Cal Poly spokesperson Matt Lazier. One of the vendors, Cattaneo Bros, announced they were one of the victims on Instagram. “The perpetrators stole almost everything and what they left behind was destroyed,” Cattaneo Bros wrote in […]
Posted inNews
Two local business owners investigated for sexual assault
Editor’s Note: This article discusses specific experiences and themes regarding sexual assault. Survivors of such experiences can access confidential services through Cal Poly Safer’s website. The San Luis Obispo Police Department is investigating several sexual assault allegations made Thursday against Kin Coffee Bar co-owner Julian Contreras and Nate’s Barbershop owner Nathaniel Abate. Two women publicly shared […]
Posted inKristin Smart
San Luis Obispo County will no longer hold trial of Flores’ for murder of Kristin Smart
Paul and Ruben Flores’ murder trial will not take place in San Luis Obispo County, presiding judge Craig van Rooyen ruled earlier Wednesday morning. The reasoning for van Rooyen’s decision was mostly attributed to the notoriety of the case in the county. He said that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Flores’ will not […]
Posted inNews
A judge will decide tomorrow if Kristin Smart murder trial will be held outside of San Luis Obispo. Here’s what to expect
The hearing for a change of location in San Luis Obispo’s Kristin Smart murder trial will be held tomorrow morning. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, a Cal Poly freshman who was reported missing in 1996. Ruben Flores, Paul Flores’ father, is charged with accessory to the murder. The Flores trial is […]