Here is what you need to know in the July 7, 2026, Streamline newsletter:
- The Larry Millete murder trial is nearing its conclusion, with closing arguments set to begin today at the South Bay Courthouse.
- Megan Parry’s microclimate forecast is tracking the extreme heat expected to move into San Diego County.
- Getting locked out of your home or car can be stressful, but before you pay a locksmith, there are some warning signs you should know about.
THE STREAMLINE
WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Tuesday, July 7 -- everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
TOP STORY
Closing arguments are scheduled Tuesday in the murder trial of Larry Millete, the Chula Vista man accused of killing his wife, who vanished more than five years ago.
Millete, 44, is charged with murdering his wife of 20 years, May "Maya" Millete, who has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 7, 2021. Her body has never been found, but police and prosecutors say there is no evidence to suggest she was alive after that date.
Surveillance footage captured Maya entering the family's home at around 4:45 p.m. on Jan. 7, but no video footage has captured her leaving.
According to trial testimony, her last known contact with anyone was in a text message with one of her sisters at around 8:15 p.m., then her cell phone terminated all cellular connections at about 1:25 a.m. Jan. 8.
MORE COVERAGE: Search for Maya Millete
Larry -- whose phone also terminated cell connections on the morning of Jan. 8 -- allegedly left the family's home in an SUV at about 6:45 a.m. and did not return for approximately 12 hours.
Investigators have been unable to pinpoint his whereabouts during that timeframe.
Given the circumstantial nature of the case, much of the trial evidence has centered on Larry Millete's alleged motive for killing Maya, which prosecutors contend stemmed from Maya's intention to leave her husband.
The prosecution presented evidence detailing the couple's deteriorating marriage and Larry's "possessive, controlling" behavior toward Maya, which allegedly included tracking her whereabouts, obtaining access to her social media profiles, and controlling her finances.
As Maya remained resolute to leave him, prosecutors say Larry turned to "spell casters" he believed could magically influence her behavior.
Jurors were presented with a multitude of emailed requests Larry made to purported magic practitioners, which evolved over the months leading to Maya's disappearance from requests to make her love him again to requests to make her sick or incapacitated so she would be forced to depend on him.
In messages Larry sent to his work supervisor and to spell casters on the afternoon of Jan. 7, he wrote, "I am not right," "I'm about to lose it," and "I'm shaking inside and ready to snap."
Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles argued to jurors in her opening statement that Larry's obsessive demeanor toward his wife prior to her disappearance radically changed after she vanished, after which he "seemed unconcerned" about where his wife was, didn't take part in the numerous searches for Maya in the months that followed and ceased his months of requests for magic spells to be cast on her.
While the couple's close family members and friends testified that they never witnessed any incidents of domestic violence, a letter Maya penned to her daughters described Larry being physically abusive with her and that she wanted to ensure "he never puts his hands on me again."
"I'm literally afraid of your dad sometimes," Maya wrote. "He is capable of hurting me."
Prosecutors have stopped short of explicitly stating how they believe Maya Millete died, but testimony throughout the trial has touched on the subject of coniine, a poisonous compound found in the plant poison hemlock.
A vial containing coniine was found inside the Millete home by investigators after Larry's arrest. During the trial, Bowles questioned a witness with an expertise in poison regarding what the hypothetical effects of coniine would be on a person who is 5-foot-2 and weighs around 110 pounds, which matches Maya's dimensions.
Larry did not testify in the trial and his defense team called only three witnesses on the final day of testimony.
Prior to the trial's start, the defense was barred by Judge Enrique Camarena from mounting a defense that pointed to James "Jamey" Laird, a co-worker who was having an extramarital affair with Maya during 2020, as a potential suspect in Maya's death. In pre-trial filings, the defense argued Laird had a potential motive because of the implications the affair's disclosure could have on his marriage and career.
But Camarena ruled Laird's involvement in the case did not satisfy the legal standard for admitting what's known as third-party culpability evidence, stating he'd found no direct or circumstantial evidence linking Laird to Maya's killing.
According to testimony from Laird and Laird's ex-wife, Laird was at a hospital between Jan. 7 and Jan. 10, 2021, after his then-wife went into labor and gave birth to their child.
Larry's defense attorneys have argued outside of the presence of jurors that they had been unfairly prevented from questioning investigators about their alleged inadequacies in confirming Laird's alibi.
Laird was also the target of many of Larry's requests to spell casters, in which Larry asked for him to be "banished," "hexed" and "punished." After Jan. 7, Larry's requests to spell casters veered entirely away from his wife to spells aimed at Laird.
Larry Millete faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of Maya's murder.
Story by Jason Kurosu, City News Service
MICROCLIMATE FORECAST
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT
A fire in Imperial Beach that began at a mobile home jumped to a nearby apartment complex before firefighters knocked it down early Tuesday morning.
An Imperial Beach Fire-Rescue Department chief told ABC 10News the 2-alarm fire was reported at around 1:30 a.m. at a mobile home on Imperial Beach Boulevard near 13th Street.
The chief said flames from mobile home blaze extended to an apartment complex, forcing some residents to evacuate.
Responding crews put out the fire, but it damaged an unknown number of units.
San Diego County sheriff's officials said at least one person was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CONSUMER
WATCH — Joe Ducey with the Better Business Bureau breaks down how scammers are targeting people in need of locksmiths:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH
A redevelopment project on Escondido’s Grand Avenue is taking a toll on some local businesses.
The multimillion-dollar Grand Avenue Redevelopment Project was launched to revitalize downtown Escondido and support long-term growth in the area.
WATCH — Reporter Jane Kim explains why small business owners say the effort is actually their hurting sales:
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