Suspect in Santa Cruz County murder case pleads not guilty

UPDATE: 06/07/2019 1:45pm

Miguel Ramirez Loza appeared stone-faced as he pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, burglary and sexual assault today in a Santa Cruz County courtroom.

Loza is accused of killing 17-year old Jessica Sheridan and raping a friend of Sheridan at a vacant preschool on Soquel Drive 16 years ago.

Today in court friends brought pictures of Sheridan to share and tried to remember the happy times they had with her.

Sheridan’s sister says seeing Loza in person for the first time was like something out of her nightmares, but she was glad to see him in handcuffs.

“His eyes were very dark. I’m terrified of him. He’s definitely the Boogieman to me,” said Serenity Sheridan.

Prosecutors say they discussed seeking the death penalty in this case but tabled the discussion in light of the Governor’s recent decision to place all California executions on hold.

PREVIOUS STORY: Miguel Ramirez Loza, the man accused of murdering 17-year-old Jessica Sheridan in 2003, is back on U.S. soil.

Loza was captured in Mexico City and brought back to Santa Cruz County Wednesday. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office says it happened at a vacant preschool on Soquel Drive.

Sheridan’s sister Serenity spoke at the Sheriff’s Office press conference when his extradition was announced.

“I didn’t know there were all these people working so hard to bring justice to my sister,” said Serenity Sheridan. “I kind of thought that maybe because we were poor kids my sister was forgotten about, but come to find out there were all these people who never forgot about here and they’ve been fighting.”

She says Loza and Jessica were dating at the time of the attack. She never met Loza, but says she was not comfortable with the nine year age difference.

The Sheriff’s Office says a friend of Jessica’s was also sexually assaulted by Loza the same night at the abandoned preschool.

Investigators say Loza fled to Mexico almost immediately. They made contact with him in 2004 while he was in jail for another crime in Mexico City, but extradition laws at the time prevented them from bringing him back to the U.S.

The Sheriff’s Office says that in 2006, those laws changed and they got the paper work for a provisional arrest warrant.

They partnered with Mexican officials and were eventually able to track Loza down in Mexico, where he was a transient working as a day laborer.

He reportedly has family living in Watsonville. They would not help law enforcement during the search.

Jessica’s sister says even though the arrest does not bring her back, it gives some closure.

“It’s bittersweet, it opened up a lot of trauma for me, but I’m definitely happy and I’ll be able to sleep better at night knowing he’s not hurting anybody else,” Sheridan said.

Loza is facing more than a dozen charges that include murder, torture and several sexual assault charges. His first court appearance is set for Friday morning.