Hearing set for Turlock man accused of holding girlfriend captive in dog crate

A Turlock man accused of holding his girlfriend captive in a dog crate needs a new lawyer.

Frank Deodulo Guerra, 22, made a brief court appearance Friday morning. He is charged with kidnapping, battery with serious injury and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office cannot represent Guerra because it currently is handling a criminal case involving one of the witnesses in Guerra’s domestic violence case. Superior Court Judge Ricardo Córdova scheduled Guerra to return to court Tuesday to appoint a new attorney to represent the defendant.

The court also is prepared to hear arguments over the issue of Guerra’s bail amount. The defendant is being held without bail at the county jail.

The defendant refused to waive his right to a preliminary hearing in a timely manner, so a preliminary hearing was scheduled March 11. Guerra still can change his mind in the next week.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last two hours. At the hearing, the court will hear witness testimony and arguments from the attorneys before deciding whether there is enough evidence for Guerra to stand trial.

At his arraignment Monday, Deputy District Attorney Beth O’Hara DeJong asked the court to keep Guerra in custody without bail pending his prosecution. She told the judge Guerra forced the woman into a dog crate that measured 30 by 48 inches, with an inside height of 32 inches.

The prosecutor argued the defendant left his then-girlfriend inside the crate hours on end each day while he went off to work. The criminal complaint alleges the woman was held captive at times from August into early January.

The victim told authorities she had to urinate into a dog bowl, and he smeared dog feces on her numerous times, according to DeJong. Guerra was arrested after his former girlfriend went to the Turlock Police Department to report the alleged crimes.

The prosecutor has said in court that Guerra bit the woman on her back, and she suffered permanent scarring. The woman reportedly escaped Jan. 4 but didn’t report the crimes until last week because the defendant asserted power and control over her, DeJong said.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Hearing set for Turlock man accused of holding girlfriend captive in dog crate."