BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — The trial of Ray Mata Jr. and Graciela Bustamonte, accused of torturing and killing 8-year-old Genesis Mata, has been postponed to late March 2026, according to Kern County Superior Court officials.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: 8-year-old girl found dead in Bakersfield hotel bathtub; two arrested
A readiness hearing is scheduled for March 20, with a tentative trial date set for March 30. The couple was initially set to appear in court on Thursday, and their trial was set to start this month.
A death investigation is underway after a body was discovered inside the La Quinta Inn in central Bakersfield, according to the Bakersfield Police Department. This is a photo of the crime scene on August 2, 2025. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
Mata Jr., the father, and Bustamonte, the stepmother, face seven felony charges, including murder, child cruelty, and torture, related to Genesis’s death in August.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: Court documents reveal horrific abuse leading to death of 8-year-old girl
The couple could face the death penalty if convicted.
A preliminary hearing for Ray Mata Jr. and Graciela Bustamonte, the couple accused of torturing and killing 8-year-old Genesis Mata, has been postponed until October. PHOTO: GoFundMe, KBAK/KBFX
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Meanwhile, on Thursday, a woman who allegedly attacked Bustamonte in Lerdo Jail was sentenced to two years and eight months in a CDCR prison.