Three new charges against Melissa Huckaby

**This is one sick puppy folks**

Three new charges against Huckaby
Tracy woman accused of poisoning two, including a 7-year-old girl

By Scott Smith Record Staff Writer
May 22, 2009 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - Prosecutors on Thursday filed three additional felony counts against Melissa Huckaby, charging her with poisoning two people, including a 7-year-old girl and an adult man.

The girl lived in the same Tracy mobile home park as the slain Sandra Cantu. Huckaby, 28, is expected to appear in San Joaquin County Superior Court today for further arraignment on previous charges that she kidnapped, raped and murdered 8-year-old Sandra on March 27 before dumping the girl's body in an irrigation pond north of Tracy.

Huckaby's attorney, Sam Behar, was expected to enter a plea on his client's behalf at today's hearing, but the new charges could lead to a change in the defense strategy.

The new complaint charges Huckaby with a single count of child endangerment and two felony counts of furnishing a harmful substance, which is not identified in the document. In both counts of alleged poisoning, the complaint says Huckaby "did willfully and unlawfully mingle a harmful substance with food or drink with the intent that (it) be taken by a human being."

The complaint charges Huckaby with poisoning the 7-year-old girl, identified only as Jane M. Doe, on Jan. 17, the same day a woman in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park - where both Sandra and Huckaby lived - reported to Tracy police that Huckaby returned her daughter drugged with a muscle relaxant.

Tracy police fell under scrutiny for failing to thoroughly investigate the report.

Rather, detectives reportedly accused the girl's mother of giving her daughter the pills and ended their investigation.

The girl recovered from the poisoning.

In the second poisoning charge, Huckaby allegedly drugged a man identified as Daniel Plowman on March 2 - 21/2 months after the first alleged poisoning and 25 days before Sandra was reported missing. Her body was found April 6.

Plowman's relationship with Huckaby is unclear, and his whereabouts are unknown. He could not be located for comment Thursday.

The complaint doesn't give his age or any details of the alleged poisoning.

A judge's gag order prevents attorneys, investigators and potential witnesses from talking to the media.

Huckaby is scheduled to appear before San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus at 1 p.m. today.

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090522/A_NEWS/905220312/-1/rss02

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