Uncle accused of murdering toddler in Turlock house fire pleads not guilty
The Turlock man accused of killing his 2-year-old nephew and committing arson pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Richard Regalado, 29, was arrested Wednesday in the vicinity of a Turlock home on the 1200 block of Expedition Street where the toddler’s body was discovered.
The toddler, who remained anonymous in court documents, was found when firefighters responded to a fire at the home and searched it once safe to do so. Detectives with the Turlock Police Department believe the fire was intentional and the boy’s death a homicide.
According to TPD, Regalado was tasked with caring for the boy and had babysat him before. The boy was in Regalado’s care for just over an hour on Wednesday, while his parents were at work. The child’s several siblings also were not home.
Regalado, wearing a typical faded orange and cream jail smock, was brought before Judge Robert Westbrook in chains to enter his plea Friday. He faces six charges: murder, torture, child abuse causing death and three counts of arson.
Family members in attendance were emotional at the Stanislaus County Superior Courthouse hearing. Prosecutor Vita Palazuelos asked news media, community members and people online to respect their privacy and “let them grieve.”
“Obviously, any case that involves the death of a child is extremely difficult, especially when you’re talking about torture of a 2-year-old,” said Palazuelos. “It’s an incredibly difficult case, and I know it’s affected a lot of the folks in our community, and even as an outsider, it affects people.”
Palazuelos added that it was “the worst case I’ve handled, as far as the severity of it.” She also added that online comments blaming the parents are “not true.”
Regalado is being held without bail. His murder charge includes an enhancement and special circumstances. As a result, he could face the death penalty. However, prosecutors with the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on if they would push for that.
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 4:57 PM.
