Crime & Safety
Actor Accused of 2 Murders Indicted
The community theater actor allegedly dumped his victim's body parts in the El Dorado Park Nature Center in Long Beach, say prosecutors.
A 28-year-old Costa Mesa man was indicted by a grand jury Thursday in connection with the dismemberment murder of a neighbor and the killing of a friend of the neighbor nearly two years ago.
Daniel Patrick Wozniak was indicted for murder in the deaths of 26-year-old Samuel Eliezer Herr and 23-year-old Juri Julie Kibuishi of Irvine in May 2010, Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy said.
Murphy said he sought the indictment to speed up the legal process. Defense attorneys kept saying they weren't ready for the preliminary hearing, so the indictment takes away the need for that type of hearing, Murphy said.
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Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Wozniak.
Wozniak was a community theater actor, who would go on stage for a production of ``Nine'' in Fullerton after each slaying, authorities have alleged. Wozniak killed Herr at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, prosecutors allege. Then he lured Kibuishi back to Herr's apartment, fatally shot her and then took off some of her clothes to make it appear Herr killed her, prosecutors allege.
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Wozniak then returned to the theater on the military base where he allegedly dismembered the victim and tried to get rid of the body parts in the El Dorado Park Nature Center in Long Beach, prosecutors allege. Authorities have alleged he was trying to cover up the first crime.
Wozniak was arrested at his bachelor's party at a Huntington Beach restaurant. Authorities allege he killed Herr to steal his savings and pay for his wedding and honeymoon.