Jury recommends death penalty for SoCal man convicted of murdering teenage runaway

Jury recommends death in killing of teen runaway

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A jury has recommended the death penalty for a Southern California man convicted of torturing and killing a 16-year-old runaway girl.

Jurors in Riverside deliberated for several days before deciding Wednesday to support death for 22-year-old Roman Aldana. Aldana and two teens have been convicted of killing Kayla Wood in an abandoned home in 2006.

Wood was stabbed 133 times, her hair was set on fire and she was left to die in the bathtub as the duplex was set on fire. Aldana was accused of orchestrating the girl’s killing because she had seen a shooting and he feared she was pregnant.

Aldana’s attorneys have said their client didn’t stab Kayla, but he remained responsible for her death.

Information from: The Press-Enterprise, www.pe.com