By David Courtland, The Porterville Recorder
VISALIA - A preliminary hearing for two men charged with killing a Porterville man in July has been rescheduled because a witness failed to show up Monday in Tulare County Superior Court.

Judge Ronn Couillard postponed the hearing until next Monday to give investigators time to locate Alfredo Sanchez. “A witness for the people did not show,” Couillard said, as he examined the summons for Sanchez to appear presented to by prosecutor Anthony Fultz. “We've had a discussion in chambers about how to best get this preliminary hearing off the ground,” Couillard said as he rescheduled the hearing.

Couillard also issued a $50,000 bench warrant for Sanchez's arrest. “He just didn't make it in today, we don't know why,” Fultz said later. “Sometimes there's a miscommunication; until we talk to him, we don't know.”

Sanchez was expected to be in Couillard's court Monday so a possible conflict of interest could be straightened out, Fultz said. Sanchez is a prosecution witness represented by Antonio Reyes, the same attorney representing defendant Joseph A. Sierra. Reyes was unavailable for comment Monday.

Couillard also scheduled a separate hearing on Friday in hopes Sanchez will be available to settle the matter before next Monday's preliminary hearing. At that time, Couillard will decide whether Sierra and his co-defendant Skyler Jacob Charlie should be tried for allegedly shooting Feliz Platas Jr. to death on July 12.

Contact David Courtland at 784-5000, Ext. 1047 or at dcourtland@portervillerecorder.com.

This story was published in The Porterville Recorder on Jan. 23, 2007