Kristin Smart case: D.A. alleges Flores killed missing California student during rape in 1996

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (TCD) --

Further details of two arrests in the murder of missing California woman Kristin Smart were released by prosecutors on Wednesday.

Paul Flores, 44, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kristin Smart, who was 19 when she went missing in 1996.

Flores was the last person known to see Smart alive when they were both college students at California Polytechnic University. Flores and Smart were seen walking together toward dormitories after an off-campus party. Smart was declared dead in 2002, though her body has never been found.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office alleges Paul Flores “caused Kristin’s death while in the commission of or attempt to commit rape.”

Flores’s father, 80-year-old Ruben Flores, is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder, the D.A.’s Office said.

"The allegation is that Ruben helped conceal Kristin's body after she was murdered," the D.A.'s Office said.

Both men were arrested in California on Tuesday, April 13. Both men were scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, April 15. The San Luis Obispo County Superior Court arraignments scheduled for Thursday were later postponed until Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

A search warrant was served at Flores’s home in San Pedro in February 2020, and again in April 2020. Authorities searched at least three other locations in California and Washington in 2020.

“We are also seeking the public’s assistance in providing any information about this case or information on other potential crimes believed to have been perpetrated by Paul Ruben Flores, including assault or other acts," the D.A.'s Office announced.

“Flores was known to frequent bars in the San Pedro area from 2005 to present.  Individuals with any information are encouraged to contact San Luis Obispo County Crime Stoppers at 805-549-7867 or go to www.slotips.org.”

“We do believe we have the location where the body was buried,” San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said in a Wednesday press conference, but did not release further details so as not to jeopardize the investigation.

Dow added: "We certainly believe Mr. Flores’ room was a crime scene."

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