ALEXANDRIA, S.D. (AP) - A judge has thrown out the alleged confession of a 17-year-old girl charged in the killing of a Mitchell teen.
Judge Tim Bjorkman tossed the confession of Maricela Diaz, of Fort Wayne, Ind. Bjorkman ruled that police failed to properly inform Diaz of her Miranda rights despite their efforts to translate them into Spanish.
Diaz was set to stand trial in the November 2009 kidnapping and death of 16-year-old Jasmine Guevara. Authorities say Guevara was lured to a rural area, stabbed and left in a burning vehicle. Bjorkman's decision will delay the trial.
Attorney General Marty Jackley says his office plans to appeal Bjorkman's decision.
Diaz's boyfriend, 21-year-old Alexander Salgado, is serving a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in 2010.
AP-WF-08-30-12 2248GMT
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