Preliminary hearing underway for man accused of murdering missing teen

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) - The man accused of murdering a missing teen is back in court Tuesday for his preliminary hearing.

51-year-old Abraham Feinbloom pleaded not guilty in connection to the disappearance and death of 17-year-old T'neya Tovar.

Tuesday's court appearance is said to determine if there is enough evidence to establish probable cause and hold him for trial.

According to our reporter, the hearing was transferred from the criminal courthouse to the regular courthouse.

Our reporter says both sides are ready, with Feinbloom's attorney, Melanie Roe, saying she has a private investigator as a witness, but says she doesn't know if she will call on him to testify.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has 11 witnesses, according to our reporter, which includes three Imperial County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) deputies, an ICSO investigator and someone from the FBI.

During the hearing, the three deputies took the stand describing what they found during the investigation,

They said when they searched the home, they found rifle cases, a pink and purple cellphone case, a pink hair dryer, the house boarded up as well as small female clothing outside the home.

A man saif to have driven Tovar to Feinbloom's home a couple of times is also expected to take the stand.

All 11 witnesses are expected to testify this week, and Judge Poli Flores is presiding over the hearing.

Reporter Jessamyn Dodd will have the full story later this evening.