DELAND — The Deltona man accused of killing his wife whose body, along with those of her two children, is still missing pleaded not guilty on Thursday morning to a charge of second-degree murder.
Luis Toledo, 31, stood shackled before Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson at the Volusia County Courthouse. Toledo had grown a full beard since his first appearance. And like at his first appearance, Toledo stared at the family of the missing mother and children as bailiffs led him to the podium. He turned to look back at family members and a bailiff pointed at him to look toward the judge.
“We will enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of Mr. Toledo,” said Assistant Public Defender Matt Phillips.
Toledo said he killed his wife, Yessenia Suarez, with a strike to the throat but has refused to tell investigators what he did with her body, according to Volusia County sheriff’s investigators. But Toledo claims someone else is responsible for the deaths of her children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8.
Some family members wore buttons with pictures of the missing children and mom as they sat in court watching Toledo.
After his plea, Toledo was led out of the courtroom by bailiffs to be returned to the Volusia County Branch Jail where he is being held without bail.
Investigators said Suarez and her children disappeared between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Oct. 23.
Toledo appeared at his wife’s work in Lake Mary on Oct. 22 and slapped her, police said. Toledo left before police arrived.
The next day when Suarez’s family did not hear from her they called the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office to check on her at the couple’s home in Deltona. Toledo arrived at the house as deputies were there and he was arrested in the Lake Mary incident.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office along with the family and Equusearch have scoured the area looking for woman and her children without success.