| For Immediate Release
|
Contact: Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 |
SECOND DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH
BODY DUMP MURDER AND
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF ANAHEIM HILLS FAMILY
FULLERTON – A second defendant has been arrested and charged with the special circumstances murder of an Anaheim Hills father and sister and the attempted murder of the mother of a University of California, Irvine student. Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 21, West Hollywood, has been charged with two felony counts of murder for Karishma Dhanak and Jayprakash Dhanak and one count of felony attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation for Leela Jayprakash Dhanak. Krasnoperov also faces sentencing enhancements for committing multiple murders, murder during the commission of kidnapping Karishma Dhanak, and murder during the commission of kidnapping Jayprakash Dhanak.
Krasnoperov is expected to be arraigned this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Department N-11, North Justice Center, Fullerton. He is being held on no bail.
Co-defendant Iftekhar Murtaza, 22, Van Nuys, faces the same charges and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday, July 6, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton. Murtaza is being held on no bail.
Krasnoperov was arrested on June 14, 2007 in Chandler, AZ, by the Anaheim Police Department and Chandler Police Department. He waived his right to an extradition hearing on June 15, 2007, and was brought back to Orange County on June 21, 2007. Charges were filed today.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will not be releasing any additional information at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Gundy of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
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