Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo approved on Friday Miller’s notice of withdrawal as Santos’ counsel due to conflict of interest.
Miller said 33-year-old Ivan Jones Castro, the second suspect, was a former client of the Public Defender’s Office in at least two prior criminal cases.
Santos and Castro are currently being held on $100,000 cash bail.
The remaining suspect, a juvenile, has yet to be arrested.
Variety learned that on May 3, 2010, citing the prosecution’s failure to charge, Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja granted the motion to dismiss the case against Castro, who was earlier arrested for his failure to register as a sex offender.
Last March, authorities arrested Castro for his non-compliance with the Sex Offender Registry requirements.
Castro posted $100 cash bail as 10 percent of his $1,000 original bail, and the remaining $900 was issued as an unsecured bond.
Records showed that Castro entered a guilty plea to the offense of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree on May 27, 2003.
Castro last registered as a sex offender on May 5, 2009 and was supposed to re-register in Aug. 2009.
On Feb. 13, 2010, authorities met with Castro to remind him to register. They visited his last known address in As Terlaje days later but didn’t find him there.
In his affidavit, Police Officer 2 Jason Tarkong, officer-in-charge of the Sex Offenders Registry and Crime Stoppers coordinator, said Castro was granted parole on Nov. 2005, and was released from the Department of Corrections facility on Dec. 2, 2005.
