Trial delayed for 2 charged in killing CDCR corrections counselor
The trial for two men charged with shooting a corrections counselor to death in 2022 was delayed Monday in Kern County Superior Court to next week.
Robert Roberts, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree attempted robbery and possessing a firearm as a felon after he is suspected of killing Benny Alcala Jr. Sebastian Parra, 24, was also charged with murder and second-degree robbery. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Alcala, 43, was shot to death in the Target parking lot on Stockdale Highway in August 2022.
Parra was not originally charged in the case, but was later charged by a grand jury after he testified in Roberts’ preliminary hearing.
Deputy Public Defender Gordon Lake is representing Roberts and Tim Hennessy is representing Parra. Both announced in court Monday that they were not ready to start the trial after they announced they were ready at the last court hearing on May 2. No explanation was given for the delay Monday as both attorneys started picking new dates.
The trial has been delayed several times because Hennessy was involved in various trials. Lake also needed time to prepare for the trial after he was assigned the case when Deputy Public Defender Lexi Blythe passed off the case when she took a job outside Kern County.
The prosecutor on the case, John Allen, was also recently promoted to supervising deputy district attorney. Other deputy district attorneys have been appearing for him at recent hearings in the case.
Both Roberts and Parra are being held without bail. They are scheduled to be in court May 20.
