By JESSICA DAIGLE

Staff Reporter

EDGARD — Giovanni “Gio” Highstreet, the LaPlace man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend, Esmeralda “Chachie” Valdez, on Oct. 17, 2004, has had his trial moved to September 2005.

According to Toni Perez, with the district attorney’s office of St. John the Baptist Parish, the trial is to be continued in September after Highstreet’s lawyer, Vincent Miceli, indicated to the judge on Monday at the Edgard Courthouse that he was not prepared to move forward with the trial.

“We were ready, but his attorney said he needed additional time to file motions and such,” Perez said, “and the judge understood.

Highstreet will stand trial for the murder of his live-in girlfriend at their home on Golfview Drive in LaPlace. Valdez was found on the floor of her kitchen, dead from stab wounds.

After attempts by two of Valdez’s siblings to restrain Highstreet, he escaped and was missing for approximately eight hours before being captured.

Past reports say that Highstreet confessed to his murder during an interview with the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.

However, in December of 2004 he pled not guilty to grand jury’s indictment charge of second-degree murder. He is still being held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Center.

Judge Madeline Jasmine is presiding over the case.

Valdez and Highstreet had a daughter together.