April 19, 2007 — Defendant Daniel C. Castillo, arrested last week for the murder of 12-year-old La'Quina K. Hennis, pleaded not guilty Thursday in V.I. Superior Court to charges of first- and second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
The Department of Justice has stepped up the charges against Castillo, as the original indictment only included second-degree murder.
While the cause of death has still not been released, court records charge Castillo with "choking" Hennis "to the point of strangulation."
Hennis, a sixth-grader at Lockhart Elementary School on St. Thomas, went missing on April 6 and was last reported to have been seen in the Sugar Estate area, where her body was later found around 7:45 p.m. on April 12 (See "Child's Body Identified as That of Missing Girl, 'Person of Interest' in Custody").
Castillo, who was first identified by Police as a "person of interest" in the case, was subsequently taken into custody and is currently being held on $1 million bail pending trial.
During a hearing held last week, Police Cpl. Roselyn Bedminster testified that Castillo was advised of his rights after being taken into custody. At the time, Castillo waived his rights and made a statement, confessing to the killing of Hennis and explaining how he disposed of the body, Bedminster said (See "Details of Child's Murder Revealed During Court Hearing; Bail Set at $1 Million for Suspect").
On Thursday, V.I. Superior Court Judge Leon Kendall was advised that Castillo would be seeking a "speedy" jury trial.
While a trial date has not yet been set, the case has been assigned to Superior Court Judge Brenda J. Hollar.
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