s urr ounding ▁the ▁case )" ▁To led o ▁told ▁the ▁press ▁that ▁day . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Jose ▁Luis ▁Ort iz ▁V ega , ▁Bar bar ita ' s ▁step father ▁and ▁Eugen io ▁J . ▁Rod rig uez ▁Gal indo ▁were ▁arrested ▁and ▁charged ▁with ▁the ▁kid n apping ▁and ▁murder ▁of ▁C ep eda ▁Cas ado . ▁During ▁a ▁pre lim inary ▁court ▁hearing ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 6 ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁it ▁was ▁determined ▁there ▁was ▁probable ▁cause ▁to ▁acc use ▁the ▁two ▁of ▁first ▁degree ▁murder ▁and ▁of ▁kid n apping , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁gun ▁law ▁viol ations . ▁A ▁third ▁man , ▁named ▁El ie zer ▁Sant ana ▁B ae z , ▁test ified ▁he ▁had ▁witness ed ▁some ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁men ▁had ▁been ▁accused ▁of ▁doing . ▁Sant ana ▁B ae z , ▁however , ▁had ▁also ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁there ▁when ▁C ep eda ▁Cas ado ▁died ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁co er ced ▁to ▁lie ▁by ▁authorities . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁argued ▁by ▁the ▁two ▁accused ▁men ' s ▁defense ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁evidence ▁offered ▁by ▁pro sec ution ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁min istry ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁handed ▁to ▁defense ▁until ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁a ▁hearing , ▁ 1 5 ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁and ▁as ▁such , ▁the ▁accus ations ▁should ▁be