Monday, June 21st:
*Pre-Preliminary Hearing for both (@ 1:30pm PT) - CA - Kristin Denise Smart (19) (missing May 25, 1996 while walking back to her dorm from a off campus frat party at Cal Poly, reported missing on May 26, 1996, San Luis Obispo) - *Paul Ruben Flores (19 @ time of crime/44) arrested & charged (4/13/21) & arraigned (4/15/21) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond.
*Ruben Ricardo Flores (55 @ time of crime/80) arrested & charged (4/13/21) & arraigned (4/15/21) with accessory to murder after the fact. Plead not guilty. $250K bond. Has posted bond, out of jail.
Kristin was last seen with Paul Flores, a 19-year-old male freshman who walked home from the party with her.
On January 3, 2011 Ian Parkinson was sworn in as Sheriff & intensified efforts to find Kristin & hold the person responsible for her disappearance accountable. In late 2016, the Sheriff's Office discovered additional evidence which confirmed Paul Flores was a suspect in the disappearance of Kristin. In 2019, Sheriff’s Detectives interviewed a witness in the case that was not previously known. With the discovery of new evidence & a new witness, Sheriff’s Detectives secured a court order authorizing the interception & monitoring of Paul Flores’ cell phone & text message communications. In February of 2020, Sheriff's Detectives served search warrants at the home of Paul Flores, as well as his sister, mother & father. Physical evidence recovered during these searches led to the service of an additional search warrant at Flores’ residence in April of 2020. In March of 2021, Detectives served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores, the father of Paul Flores. Additional evidence related to the murder of Kristin is discovered at the site.
5/17/21 Update: Had pre preliminary hearing. Will be back before a judge once more on 6/21/21 before the preliminary hearing is set to begin July 6. It’s expected to take 12 days and will be an opportunity for both sides to present their cases before the judge, who will decide whether there is enough evidence to move forward with the charges against the pair. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle also stated before the judge Monday that additional discovery would be presented.