Nicholas Rossi, accused of faking death and fleeing U.S. to avoid rape charges, will stand trial in Utah, judge rules
CBSN
A man accused of faking his own death and fleeing the U.S. to avoid rape charges will stand trial, a judge in Utah ruled Thursday.
District Judge Barry Lawrence ruled during Nicholas Rossi's preliminary hearing that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to warrant a jury trial, CBS affiliate KUTV reported. Rossi was scheduled back in court for an arraignment and bail hearing on Oct. 17, the station reported.
Prosecutors say Rossi, 37, raped a 26-year-old former girlfriend after an argument in Salt Lake County in 2008. In a separate case, he is accused of raping a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, that same year and was not identified as a suspect for about a decade due to a backlog of DNA test kits at the Utah State Crime Lab.
Los Angeles firefighters have made progress containing wildfires that have claimed at least 10 lives and caused unprecedented damage. In the weeks ahead, officials and residents will examine whether local authorities' warnings and early responses adequately prepared the city for the escalating crisis.