Carlos Aguilar was in Gainesville this time last year, too.
Aguilar took his son Christian to UF Preview. Both were excited for the future — Christian would start in Summer B. Someone even snapped a picture of the grinning new Gator, wearing a nametag and clutching a Preview tote bag.
On Tuesday, Carlos Aguilar wore a white shirt bearing that picture as he sat in the Alachua County Courthouse in a case management hearing for Pedro Bravo, the 19-year-old accused of killing his son.
Michael Ruppert, the third lawyer Bravo has had since the case began about 10 months ago, told Judge Peter Sieg he needed time to take the depositions of 110 witnesses.
Sieg decided the court would reconvene Aug. 27 despite State Attorney Brian Kramer’s objection to a delay.
Aguilar said he was pleased with Kramer’s attempt to move things along.
“I want to make sure that the message is clear — sent to the judge that we want this set for trial,” Aguilar said. “And that we’re ready. And that we know that he is guilty of the crime that he committed.”
According to court records, Bravo is charged with kidnapping, homicide, lying to police, providing false reports, mishandling human remains, tampering with physical evidence, and poisoning food and/or water with the intent to kill or injure a person.
Contact Julia Glum at jglum@alligator.org.
Nineteen-year-old Pedro Bravo, accused of kidnapping and killing UF student Christian Aguilar in September, arrives to his case management hearing Tuesday in the Alachua County Courthouse.
