Two men have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart in 1996, authorities said Tuesday. Paul Flores, 44, was arrested and charged with murder. No bail was instituted.
Investigators have not yet discovered Smart’s body, but they remain hopeful, said San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson. “I believe we will find Kristin,” he said. “We will continue to focus on finding remains, regardless of any court action.”
On May 24, 1996, Smart was 19 when she disappeared when she returned to a residence at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Flores, who was considered a major suspect, was also a student at the school.
His father, Ruben Flores, 80, was also arrested Tuesday and was executed on suspicion of having $ 250,000 bail, Parkinson said.
Handout via Carla Hoffman
“The news today of arrests in connection with the case brings sadness, but also some release and hope for a resolution,” Jeff Polystrong, president of Cal Poly, said Tuesday. “Although we know that today’s developments do not represent the end of the matter, it is an important step.”
Parkinson said Tuesday the warrants were sealed and details of the evidence that led to the two arrests could not be disclosed.
Earlier Tuesday, a representative for the Smart family called it an ‘extremely emotional day’. After the press conference, a family spokesman issued a statement to CBS News.
“We have been waiting for this bitterly sweet day for over twenty-four years. It is impossible to put into words what this day means to our family; we pray that it will be the first step in bringing our daughter home,” reads the statement. ‘While Kristin’s loving spirit will always live in our hearts, our life without her hugs, laughter and smiles is a sadness that never diminishes.
“Knowing that a father and son, despite our desperate pleas for help, were able to withhold this awful secret for nearly 25 years, and denied us the chance to rest our daughter, is a relentless and unforgivable pain,” the statement.
Last year, a student who was at Smart before her disappearance said that the couple divorced because Smart wants to stay outside and she wants to go home. “To this day, I was like, why – why did I just let her go alone?” Margarita Campos told CBS News ”48 Hours. “
Parkinson said more than 141 warrants had been issued and more than 200 pieces of evidence discovered during the Smart investigation.
Sheriff’s Office in San Luis Obispo
CBS Los Angeles reported that detectives raided Paul Flores’ home in San Pedro, about 15 miles south of LA, in February 2020, and again in April 2020. The station also said Flores was arrested in February 2021 on an unrelated gun charge and was released on bail at the time.
In mid-March, authorities issued a warrant at Paul’s father’s home in San Luis Obispo County, using cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar, according to CBS LA.
Paul Flores will be arrested on Thursday.