On Tuesday, Maya’s father Pablito Tabalanza took the stand. Over the course of several hours, Tabalanza testified about the last time he spoke with Maya and the day he discovered she was missing. Throughout his testimony, Tabalanza was aided by a Tagalog interpreter. At times, the translation was difficult and created confusion during questioning.
Tabalanza was first questioned by the Deputy District Attorney, Christy Bowles about a call he had with Maya on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The conversation was about a canceled plan for Tabalanza to babysit her youngest child. He said while Maya set that up days before, Larry Millete called him afterward, calling off that help. He said Larry told him his aunt and uncle would be able to step in and he was no longer needed. But Tabalanza said Maya seemed not to be in the loop about it, and was upset over the situation. Tabalanza said it was the last time he spoke with Maya.
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On Jan. 9, 2021, Tabalanza said he received a phone call from his son J.R., worried about Maya, believing something bad had happened to her. Tabalanza said he and his wife immediately went to the home, and found Larry there with the children, as well as his aunt and uncle.
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He said Larry told him that Maya was upstairs in the master bedroom. Tabalanza said he and Larry went to the door and discovered it was locked. After several minutes of banging on the door and calling out, Tabalanza said Larry produced a key to the door from his pocket unprompted, and opened the door.
Once inside, Tabalanza said there was no sign of Maya, and everything seemed to be in order. He said that included the bed, which he thought was out of the ordinary because he’d never known Maya to make the bed when he visited the home in years past.
Maya Millete Murder Case
During the search for Maya in the room, Tabalanza said Larry seemed calm and unconcerned for Maya. He said Larry also went over to a desk in the room, and announced unprompted that her credit card was missing. Tabalanza said he didn’t pay much attention to that statement because he was distraught that his daughter was missing.
In addition, Tabalanza said Larry also put his arm around him and told him out of the blue, “Nothing is going on. I would not do that.” He said no context or explanation was given for the statement.
During testimony, Tabalanza also told the court he remembered being with the family over the Christmas holiday. He said Maya and Larry stayed apart during the visit. At one point, he said Larry also told him, “Papa, I will kill her or him,” and then flashed a gun from his waistband. Tabalanza said he didn’t ask Larry what he was talking about, but thought it was a joke and walked away. He described the gun as a black 9 millimeter.
Bowles asked Tabalanza if he was referring to a co-worker that Maya might be having an affair with, but he reiterated that he didn’t know what Larry was talking about.
During cross examination, Larry’s defense attorney Bonita Martinez tried to poke holes in Tabalanza’s account. She questioned him about specifics regarding the babysitting request and the day he went to the home looking for her. At times, he was unable to remember certain things including about: visits to the home, prior babysitting help and what Larry was wearing on Jan. 9, 2021.
Later in the day, a man named Blaine Hinckley took the stand. He told the court he met May in late 2020 as part of a Facebook group for Jeep off-roading enthusiasts. He said he interacted with her on two trips out to the desert. She brought her daughters on the first trip, and both Larry and her son on the second one. He described her as full of energy and excitement for off-roading.
“I could see the essence of her enjoyment with her children out there that day, and I held it close to my heart, because I recognized it as the same enjoyment I share with my kids,” Hinckley said.
During the second trip, he said Larry didn’t participate in the “Jeep run” through the desert. He said he found it odd that Larry rode in the backseat when he arrived at the meetup and then again when the family drove away after the get-together.
Officer Ryan Culver with the Chula Vista Police Department took the stand next. He was one of three officers that responded to the Millete home just after midnight on Jan. 10, 2021. He said the home was in complete disarray. Clothes and belongings were scattered throughout the home. He said there were also three large suitcases downstairs, but they were not searched.
Finally, Maya Millete’s sister-in-law, Genesis Nicolas-Tabalanza took the stand. She was also Maya’s co-worker at the Department of Defense, and was introduced to her future husband through that work relationship. She said she considered Maya a very close friend and mentor. She told the court that she knew Maya to keep her private life to herself over the more than 15 years of friendship, but that changed beginning in January of 2020.
Nicolas-Tabalanza said she began receiving daily text messages from Larry Millete asking about Maya’s whereabouts. She said those communications bothered her, but could understand a loved-ones' concerns about their spouse. During that time, Maya told her about marital problems, and asked if she could stay in their home if she needed to get away from Larry.
Nicolas-Tabalanza said that came to pass in May of 2020. Maya lived at their home for about a month.
“That’s where she told me that she needs a place to live,” Nicolas-Tabalanza said. “If she could live with us. I was very shocked to hear that.”
She also testified that Larry told her he’d heard Maya was having an affair with someone at work and there was an investigation under way.
Nicolas-Tabalanza will continue testifying Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.
The Maya Millete Case: This is an entry in NBC 7's live blog coverage of the Larry Millete Hearing. To read other entries, CLICK HERE
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