Teenage girl, boyfriend, to stand trial in slaying of girl's grandparents

ROSEMEAD -- A 15-year-old girl and her 21-year-old boyfriend were ordered Wednesday to stand trial for the stabbing deaths of her grandparents at the couple's Rosemead home last summer.

Sophia Janalisa Cristo and Rodolfo Lopez are charged with murdering Jack Bezner, 71, and his 64-year-old wife, Susan, who were found dead in their bed last Aug. 9 at their home in the 4200 block of Arica Avenue.

The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, along with the allegations that the two each used a knife and inflicted great bodily injury on the victims.

Prosecutors will decide later in the case whether to seek the death penalty against Lopez.

Cristo, who was 14 at the time but was charged as an adult, is not eligible for the death penalty because of her age.

The two were arrested last Aug. 11 in Horizon City, Texas, after detectives learned they might be on their way there in the Bezners' missing Nissan sport utility vehicle.

Cristo and Lopez are due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on June 8 for arraignment.