Early this week the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department barricaded the road leading to the residence of Ruben Flores, the father of Paul Flores, the suspected killer of Kristin Smart. Ruben Flores lives at a home at 710 White Court, Arroyo Grande, California. The property was searched by the Sheriff’s Department; in addition, cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar were employed to locate the remains of Kristin Smart. Last month, Paul Flores was arrested on felony gun charges arising from a discovery of a firearm in his residence while on felony probation. The searches of the residence of Paul Flores and Ruben Flores are related in the sense they are both part of an ongoing, relentless search for evidence by SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson. As of this date, I have not yet learned the results of the search at Ruben Flores’ home.
There has been significant speculation that Ruben Flores was involved in discarding the body of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores was living in a dorm at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on the date of Kristin Smart’s disappearance; he did not have a motor vehicle on campus but his sister lived several blocks off campus and drove a VW Cabriolet. That VW Cabriolet was removed from Ruben Flores home on Monday morning and towed to an undisclosed location by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. As Kristin Smart’s body was never found, it is reasonable to assume that Paul Flores received assistance in moving the body in the middle of the night. The evidence uncovered, if any, during the course of the search may be used both in any criminal prosecution of Paul Flores and in the wrongful death case against Paul Flores filed by my office. It has been almost 25 years since the disappearance of Kristin Smart; every day the Smart family continues to suffer; every day, Paul Flores has been looking over his shoulder. Justice is coming.
If you have any information, please call Murphy Law Corporation at 805-489-8929 or San Luis Obispo Sheriff at 805-781-4500.