Confessions from the two men accused of murdering Hollister’s
Ralph Santos could be thrown out of court because police may have
misread them their rights.
Eliseo Rojas, 24, and Eusebio Ramos, 30, are suspected of
killing the 73-year-old Santos on June 10 and discarding his body
in a 50-acre mustard field off of Buena Vista Road. His body was
discovered nine days later.
Confessions from the two men accused of murdering Hollister’s Ralph Santos could be thrown out of court because police may have misread them their rights.
Eliseo Rojas, 24, and Eusebio Ramos, 30, are suspected of killing the 73-year-old Santos on June 10 and discarding his body in a 50-acre mustard field off of Buena Vista Road. His body was discovered nine days later.
The possible conflict could have a major effect on the murder case as San Benito County Superior Court Judge Harry Tobias listened to arguments Wednesday and will rule on whether the confessions of Rojas and Ramos will become part of the prosecution’s case.
“There are legal issues regarding the way in which statements of the individuals were gathered,” Salinas defense attorney Bud Landreth said.
Landreth, who represents Rojas, and Salinas attorney Arlene Allan, who represents Ramos, questioned the way their clients were read their Miranda Rights after the two were arrested in Stockton on June 29 on suspicion of first-degree murder.
San Benito County Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagner said it would be a violation of his department’s policy to discuss the details of an ongoing prosecution.
With the exception of a few words, Rojas and Ramos only speak Spanish.
Landreth and Allan said it appears that when police were reading Rojas and Ramos their rights, they used a translation that did not fully inform them of their right not to answer police questions or to incriminate themselves.
If Rojas and Ramos were not properly informed of their rights before they allegedly confessed to investigators about the murder, the statements could be considered inadmissable in court.
Without the confessions from both men, the prosecution’s case would be severely weakened because much of the remaining case rests on primarily circumstantial evidence, the defense attorneys said.
Prosecutors said they have a strong case with or without the confessions. The confessions just make things a little easier.
Tobias is requiring both prosecution and defense attorneys to file written opinions with his office by Aug. 28 and will issue a ruling on Sept. 3 about the admissibility of the confessions.
