Former Ceres resident Mark Edward Mesiti deserves to die for killing his 14-year-old daughter in 2006, says the Stanislaus County District Attorney's office.
Mesiti has been behind bars in Stanislaus County since March 28, 2009 to stand trial for the murder of his daughter, Alycia Augusta Mesiti. Authorities say he is raped and sexually molested Alycia during 2005 and 2006, and then killed her in August 2006. Police found her body in the backyard of 3576 Alexis Avenue in Ceres where she was living at the time of her murder.
Police said a cause of death has been determined but elaborate on details of the case. Ceres Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges stated earlier that the case against Mesiti is "very strong."
In a new twist, prosecutor Annette Rees announced Mesiti will also be charged with sexually assaulting two other female victims. The girls were not identified but their ages were listed as eight years of age and the other who was both 16 and 17 during the alleged abuse. The seven felony charges involving his alleged actions against the girls - between July 2006 and July 2008 - include unlawful sexual intercourse, committing lewd acts on a child, and furnishing illegal narcotics to a minor.
Mesiti was arrested by Ceres Police in Los Angeles three days after his daughter's body was discovered. Mesiti moved from Ceres about six months after Alycia was reported missing but police traced him to a Los Angeles apartment which had been used by him as a methamphetamine lab. Mesiti's girlfriend, Shelly Welborn helped testify against Mesiti in the drug trial in which he was convicted and sentenced to five years.
Authorities say Mark Mesiti drugged Alycia from July 2005 through May 2006 so that he could commit lewd and sexual acts with her.
Alycia had been reported missing two days after her alleged Aug. 13, 2006 disappearance. Mark Mesiti told police that Alycia traveled to the San Jose area on August 11, 2006, to spend the weekend with a friend and that she telephoned on August 13, reporting that she had instead gone camping with other friends but would not disclose her location nor who she was with. Police say Mr. Mesiti claimed to receive periodic calls from Alycia who assured her things were okay.
Police previously stated that Alycia had been molested by a friend of the family previous to her disappearance. Detectives interviewed Gregory Joseph Ulrich of Modesto who served time in jail for also molesting Alycia. Ulrich, who is known by Mark Mesiti, served a year in jail after being convicted of the molestation. He reportedly had been released three days prior to Alycia's disappearance.
Mesiti's criminal record includes domestic violence against Alycia's mother, Roberta Allen, drunk driving and bank fraud. Despite his record, in November 2005 he was awarded custody of Alycia. The girl reportedly did not get along with her mother, Roberta Allen, who has a history of mental depression and attempted suicide. Court officials expressed concerns about Alycia's handling and turned her over to her father.
In 2005 Mark Mesiti moved to Alexis Avenue - a neighborhood west of Morgan Road and just blocks from Sinclear Elementary - from the Bay Area. Alycia had been enrolled by her father to attend Central Valley High School on Sept. 15, 2005, but never attended. On Oct. 6, 2005 CUSD received a request for her records to be sent to Harbor High School in Santa Cruz.
Roberta Allen told Ceres police that she did not believe her daughter ran away and suspected foul play. That's when police stepped up their investigation of the property and brought in a cadaver-detecting canine. The body was found near the patio buried under feet of dirt.
Mesiti has been behind bars in Stanislaus County since March 28, 2009 to stand trial for the murder of his daughter, Alycia Augusta Mesiti. Authorities say he is raped and sexually molested Alycia during 2005 and 2006, and then killed her in August 2006. Police found her body in the backyard of 3576 Alexis Avenue in Ceres where she was living at the time of her murder.
Police said a cause of death has been determined but elaborate on details of the case. Ceres Deputy Police Chief Mike Borges stated earlier that the case against Mesiti is "very strong."
In a new twist, prosecutor Annette Rees announced Mesiti will also be charged with sexually assaulting two other female victims. The girls were not identified but their ages were listed as eight years of age and the other who was both 16 and 17 during the alleged abuse. The seven felony charges involving his alleged actions against the girls - between July 2006 and July 2008 - include unlawful sexual intercourse, committing lewd acts on a child, and furnishing illegal narcotics to a minor.
Mesiti was arrested by Ceres Police in Los Angeles three days after his daughter's body was discovered. Mesiti moved from Ceres about six months after Alycia was reported missing but police traced him to a Los Angeles apartment which had been used by him as a methamphetamine lab. Mesiti's girlfriend, Shelly Welborn helped testify against Mesiti in the drug trial in which he was convicted and sentenced to five years.
Authorities say Mark Mesiti drugged Alycia from July 2005 through May 2006 so that he could commit lewd and sexual acts with her.
Alycia had been reported missing two days after her alleged Aug. 13, 2006 disappearance. Mark Mesiti told police that Alycia traveled to the San Jose area on August 11, 2006, to spend the weekend with a friend and that she telephoned on August 13, reporting that she had instead gone camping with other friends but would not disclose her location nor who she was with. Police say Mr. Mesiti claimed to receive periodic calls from Alycia who assured her things were okay.
Police previously stated that Alycia had been molested by a friend of the family previous to her disappearance. Detectives interviewed Gregory Joseph Ulrich of Modesto who served time in jail for also molesting Alycia. Ulrich, who is known by Mark Mesiti, served a year in jail after being convicted of the molestation. He reportedly had been released three days prior to Alycia's disappearance.
Mesiti's criminal record includes domestic violence against Alycia's mother, Roberta Allen, drunk driving and bank fraud. Despite his record, in November 2005 he was awarded custody of Alycia. The girl reportedly did not get along with her mother, Roberta Allen, who has a history of mental depression and attempted suicide. Court officials expressed concerns about Alycia's handling and turned her over to her father.
In 2005 Mark Mesiti moved to Alexis Avenue - a neighborhood west of Morgan Road and just blocks from Sinclear Elementary - from the Bay Area. Alycia had been enrolled by her father to attend Central Valley High School on Sept. 15, 2005, but never attended. On Oct. 6, 2005 CUSD received a request for her records to be sent to Harbor High School in Santa Cruz.
Roberta Allen told Ceres police that she did not believe her daughter ran away and suspected foul play. That's when police stepped up their investigation of the property and brought in a cadaver-detecting canine. The body was found near the patio buried under feet of dirt.
