Man says he fears for family's safety if he testifies in triple-murder trial of Luis Toledo
St. AUGUSTINE — The brother of a former gang leader accused of killing his wife and her two children told a judge he did not want to testify against the Latin King because he feared for the safety of his children.
Chris Lasanta was brought in shackles to face Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano late Tuesday after jury selection finished for the day at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center in St. Augustine in the trial against his brother, Luis Toledo. Lasanta turned himself in on Tuesday after Zambrano issued a warrant for his arrest for ignoring a subpoena from prosecutors.
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Lasanta, 38, said he didn't want any part of the trial and feared for his three children.
“He's accused of killing two kids and a mother,” Lasanta said of Toledo, “and they still haven't found the bodies and you want me to come and put my face all over the news and my family in danger.”
Toledo, who at one point was the third-ranked Latin King in the state, was not in the courtroom when Lasanta was brought in, but Toledo's three attorneys were.
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Zambrano warned Lasanta that if he did not agree to return to court to testify, he would be held in jail until it was his turn on the witness stand, which is expected to be next week.
Lasanta relented and said keeping him in jail would mess up his life and the good job he has as a plumber. He agreed to return at 9 a.m. on Monday.
But he had one more thing to say.
“I'm just letting you guys know,” Lasanta said, “if something happens to my children, it's on your heads.”