Man accused of murdering 3 El Pasoans in 1994 set to go on trial in March 2025
Update (September 26, 2024): Triple murder suspect Arturo Garcia Ortega appeared at a court hearing this morning. The judge set his trial for March 3, 2025. The jury voir dire will start February 28, 2025.
ABC-7 was in the courtroom as the judge addressed Garcia and his legal team and scheduled the trial.
The defense team is currently reviewing audio and video it just received from the prosecution that may or may not pertain to the case and Garcia's defense.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Dante Santoni was brutally murdered, days after celebrating his third birthday. He, his mother Connie Villa, 28, along with Villa's longtime partner and Dante's father, Francisco Santoni, 59, were found stabbed to death on Aug. 11, 1994 in their east El Paso home.
But it wasn't until 2022 when El Paso police announced they had arrested the suspect responsible for this heinous act. Arturo Garcia Ortega was extradited from Mexico and has been in the El Paso County Jail awaiting trial ever since. In the latest Borderland Crimes podcast episode, Villa's surviving siblings talk about their 30-year-long wait for a trial, where they hope to learn why their sister and nephew were killed.
Watch a preview of this episode Wednesday night on ABC-7 at 10, and listen to the podcast on your preferred listening platform.
