The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office says it will use alleged sex crimes authorities believe Paul Flores committed against other women in the murder case against him.
District Attorney Dan Dow announced Wednesday that a first-degree murder charge has been filed against Flores, 44, in connection with the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart.
Dow says Flores was the last person to be seen on campus with Kristin on May 25, 1996, and caused her death during the commission of rape or attempted rape.
Flores’ 80-year-old father, Ruben Flores, is charged with accessory after the fact with the allegation that he helped to conceal Kristin’s body after the murder, according to Dow.
The district attorney would not go into much detail about the case or evidence they may have against Flores, but did say they believe his dorm was a crime scene.
“The last place where Kristin was seen was close to the dorms and near Mr. Flores’s dorms,” Dow said. “We certainly believe that Mr. Flrores’s dorm was a crime scene. ”While the statute of limitations for rape in this case has expired, Dow says the allegation that Flores was committing or attempting to commit a rape when Kristin was allegedly killed allows the DA’s Office to file the first-degree murder charge.
Dow says they have obtained evidence showing Paul may have committed criminal acts against other people, who have yet to be identified, in the Southern California area and they are asking anyone with any information about Kristin’s disappearance or other potential crimes committed by Paul to contact authorities.
The @SLOCounty_DA is looking for other sexual assault victims allegedly link to #PaulFlores. Anyone with info is encouraged to contact San Luis Obispo crime stoppers at 805-549-7867 or https://t.co/9z0i5BwI6m pic.twitter.com/WjZqblvCtg
— Megan Healy (@MeganHealyTV) April 15, 2021
Dow says Paul was known to frequent bars in the San Pedro area and Los Angeles County. Regarding possible crimes they believe Paul may have committed, Dow said, “at this point, we’re concerned about sexual assault.”
He directed potential alleged victims to contact San Luis Obispo County Crime Stoppers at (805) 549 -7867 or visit www.slotips.org.
When asked if it’s believed Paul can receive a fair trial in San Luis Obispo County due to the high-profile nature of the case, Dow said he is “very confident” in the people of San Luis Obispo County, but added that it’s something a judge may have to make a ruling on at a later date if requests are made.
Paul's attorney has declined to comment. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, told KSBY, “I would need to see the evidence because at this point I don’t believe they have any evidence let alone sufficient evidence to prove my client has committed any crime.”
Paul and Ruben Flores are both due in court for arraignment on Thursday.
Jail logs show they both remained behind bars at San Luis Obispo County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon.
