Judge Denies Venue Change In Tracy Shackled Teen Case
STOCKTON (CBS 5 / AP) -- A judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of torturing a 16-year-old boy in a Tracy home has denied a request to move the proceedings outside San Joaquin County Superior Court, setting the stage for opening statements to begin.
Thirty-one-year-old Anthony Waiters has pleaded not guilty to aggravated mayhem, torture and false imprisonment charges involving the teen allegedly held at the home of Waiters' neighbors. He faces a potential life sentence.
Judge Terrence Van Oss turned down Waiters' attorney's change of venue request Wednesday.
The boy escaped in December 2008 by scaling a fence and seeking help at a fitness center.
Three other defendants—Michael Schumacher, Kelly Lau and Caren Ramirez—have pleaded guilty to charges that included use of a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury to a child.
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