A man suspected of killing two men in Otay Mesa has entered an insanity plea, prompting a judge to appoint a psychiatrist to examine him in jail.
Ricardo Valles, 52, has a May 16 trial date in Chula Vista Superior Court. He is charged with fatally stabbing Albert Stringer, 61, and Curtis Murray, 56, on May 17, 2017 and has pleaded not guilty as well as not guilty by reason of insanity.
His attorney could not be reached for comment. Valles remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.
A San Diego Police officer on patrol noticed two men who looked like they were sleeping in front of a closed business called Rita’s Italian Ice at 3410 Palm Ave. at 2:45 a.m. When the officer tried to contact both men, he discovered they were both dead and had stab wounds to their chest.
Both men were homeless at the time. On May 23 officers located Valles at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Beyer Way. He was arrested. Valles did not know either man.
The District Attorney’s office also filed special circumstances alleging Valles had killed multiple victims. If he is convicted of murder he would face a life term in prison.
If a jury finds him to be insane at the time, Valles would be committed to a psychiatric hospital, possibly for life.
The deputy medical examiner testified at the Nov. 14 preliminary hearing and said Murray had three stab wounds to his chest which killed him. Murray also had defensive wounds to his arms and hands in trying to fight off his attacker. Stringer had two stab wounds to the chest. A judge ordered Valles to stand trial for two counts of murder.
