A trial date has been set for a former day-care provider charged with child torture in a case involving multiple victims.
Georgina Ruiz of Santa Maria appeared in court alongside her attorney, Tom Allen, on Wednesday.
Ruiz was arrested in February 2015 on suspicion of child torture and willful cruelty to a child in a case involving more than one victim, authorities said.
She operated a licensed day-care facility in her home on Bungalow Drive.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the Allen requested that Judge John Fisher set a date for trial.
Fisher set a July 17 trial date to accommodate Deputy District Attorney Brandon Jebens’ schedule, which includes a homicide trial for a different case expected to fill most of June.
Jebens estimated the Ruiz trial will take four weeks.
Both sides were ordered to return to court July 12 for a trial-confirmation hearing, or sooner if a plea deal is reached.
Ruiz remains in custody of the Santa Barbara County Jail.
Her bail initially was set at $500,000, but was revoked two days after her Feb. 10, 2015, arrest because police officers expressed concern she intended to flee the country.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.