By VICKIE JAMBON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Giovanni “Gio” Highstreet pled innocent Wednesday to a grand jury’s indictment charge of second-degree murder. The LaPlace man is accused of stabbing his live-in girlfriend and leaving her nude body on the kitchen floor of their Golfview Drive home.

Attorney Vincent Miceli represented Highstreet while the 35-year-old man pled not guilty before state District Judge J. Sterling Snowdy.

Assistant District Attorney George Ann Graugnard sat in on the hearing, which took place at the St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse in Edgard.

Highstreet was indicted by a St. John the Baptist grand jury on Monday, Dec. 6 for killing Esmeralda “Chachi” Valdez on Oct. 27, during a domestic argument in their well-maintained home at 2104 Golfview Drive.

After Highstreet was arrested on Oct. 17 at 8:30 p.m., he confessed to authorities he killed Valdez, his girlfriend of nine years.

A shock wave riveted Highstreet’s neighborhood after the murder was committed.

Neighbors said they were unaware Valdez filed abuse reports against Highstreet in 1999 and 2002 and that Highstreet was previously arrested as a result of the 1999 allegation.