Double murder suspect arraigned

August 31, 2012 1:33 pm • WENDY MITCHELL



Mariano Arias

FLEMINGSBURG | Speaking through a court provided interpreter, Mariano Arias repeated his name and date of birth to Judge W. Todd Walton in Fleming County District Court on Friday.

Arias, 28, appeared live by video from Mason County Detention Center in a continuation of his arraignment on two counts of murder related to the April discovery of two sets of skeletal remains on a hillside near Ewing.

His arraignment and that of another man were delayed a day so a translator could be present, officials said.

Repeating what had been discussed on Thursday, Arias' attorney, Blake Wright entered a plea of not guilty on Arias' behalf.

Walton also included a statement in the court record advising Arias, “as a non-resident (of the U.S.) he has a right to contact his foreign consulate office.”

According to the complaint against him, read into the record by Walton, Arias, in 2010, caused the death of two individuals, “killed them, pulled onto a hillside off Delaney Road and left them there.”

Arias' rights, presumed innocence and court rights were explained by Walton, then repeated by the interpreter.

Fleming County Attorney John Price also explained, for the record, that the date of Sept. 1, 2010 on the warrant Walton read to Arias was not an exact date of the incident but one necessary to allow the warrant to be placed into the e-Warrant system.

“We believe the murders happened in fall of 2010,” Price said.

Wright asked for a bond reduction and for Arias to be placed on monitored release for the duration of the court activities. At the time of his arrest, Arias had been in the area cutting tobacco for about a week and had $550 on him in cash, Wright said.

Price objected; pointing out Arias' work schedule indicated he was to leave the area in a week or so, and the seriousness of the alleged crime, threat to the public and possibility of flight risk, would be grounds to recommend no bond be allowed.

Due to the flight risk and the case being a capital murder case, Walton denied bail.

Arias' next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 6.

No identification has been made of the remains, officials said.
They are of a Hispanic female and possibly Hispanic or partly Hispanic male, officials said.

The charges against Arias carry a possible death penalty, court officials said.

Anyone having additional information on the case is should contact Fleming County Sheriff's Office at 606-845-4701 or KSP Sgt. Wes Prather at 606-784-4127.

In an unrelated case, a man arrested at the residence where Arias was located by police on Wednesday night was also arraigned with the help of the interpreter.

According to Price, Adolfo Valasquez Gomez had been alarmed when police arrived to serve the warrant on Arias, and, “...came up swinging” at police.

Gomez was charged with menacing and resisting arrest.
He pled not guilty through the interpreter and Wright.
His bond was set at $2,500.

Wright requested a reduced bond, citing Gomez' claim his family was ill in Guatemala and needed him to be able to work.

When Walton declined to reduce the bond, citing flight risk, Gomez asked if he could use a telephone to contact relatives to provide money to get him out.

Wright told Walton he would speak with Gomez about it.
His hearing is also set for Sept. 6.

Double murder suspect arraigned