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Suspect in Deadly California Rampage Pleads Not Guilty

Associated Press

   GARDEN GROVE, CALIFORNIA -The suspect in a Southern California stabbing
   rampage that left four people dead and two injured pleaded not guilty
   Friday to murder, attempted murder and other counts.

   Zachary Castaneda was arrested Wednesday by police responding to two
   hours of slashing and stabbing attacks in Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

   Authorities said Castaneda, 33, was covered in blood when he was taken
   into custody after walking out of a 7-Eleven store and dropping a knife
   and a gun that he'd cut from the belt of a security guard he'd just
   killed.

   The 11 felonies filed against Castaneda also included assault with a
   deadly weapon to cause great bodily injury, aggravated mayhem, robbery
   and burglary.

   He was arraigned in his jail cell instead of court. Kimberly Edds, a
   spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney, could not
   immediately say why.

   Castaneda had been kept in restraints when detectives tried to
   interview him.

   ``He remained violent with us through the night,'' Garden Grove Police
   Chief TomDaResaid. ``He never told us why he did this.''

   Information about his defense attorney was not immediately available.

   Neighbors killed

   Authorities on Friday said GerardoFresnaresBeltran, 63, was fatally
   stabbed in his Garden Grove apartment. His roommate HelmuthHauprich,
   62, was also killed in the attack. Castaneda was their neighbor.

   Robert Parker, 58, of Orange and Pascual Rioja Lorenzo, 39, of Garden
   Grove were stabbed separately in Santa Ana.

   Rioja Lorenzo was a construction worker and devout churchgoer from
   Mexico.

   He had lived in the U.S. for more than adecadebut his wife and
   16-year-old son remain in Mexico, said SaulAbrego, an official with the
   United Pentecostal Church LaSendaAntigua in Santa Ana.

   Rioja Lorenzo held home Bible study events for the church,
   andAbregosaid he thought he had just come from work and was heading to
   one such event when he was attacked.

   ``It was just a big shock for us,''Abregosaid.

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