Community Corner

Former Friend Arraigned On Murder Charge In Michelle Le Case

Giselle Esteban is scheduled to return to court on Monday to enter a plea to charges she murdered Michelle Le

Updated 2:59 p.m.

Giselle Esteban was arraigned today on one count of murder in the killing of her former friend, missing nursing student Michelle Le.

Esteban, 27, did not enter a plea. She is scheduled to return to court Monday morning with an Alameda County public defender.

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The Union City woman is being held in custody without bail.

At today's 2 p.m. hearing, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Michael Gaffey asked Esteban if she understood the charges against her. She replied she did.

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Gaffey then asked the defendant if she wanted to hire an attorney or be represented by the public defender's office.

"I'm not quite sure," Esteban answered.

Gaffey then assigned Esteban's case to the public defender's office.

Esteban's arraignment was postponed yesterday due to medical reasons. Esteban appears to be several months pregnant, though authorities have not state how far along she is in her pregnancy.

According to Sgt. J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, yesterday's postponement was not a medical emergency but a routine appointment. He could not discuss the specific nature of the appointment.

Esteban is also the mother of a 5-year-old girl. The child's father, who issued a restraining order against Esteban three days prior to Le's disappearance, was present at Friday's arraignment. He told media that he was there to show support for Le and would not comment further.

Le's relatives and friends were also present at the arraignment.

"Our focus is still to bring her home. We can't push that any further," said Le's cousin, Krystine Dinh, shortly after the arraignment.

A search party will be held Sept. 17 in a continued effort to locate Le or any evidence leading to her whereabouts.

"We're keeping up hope," Dinh said.

Neither Dinh nor Le's brother, Michael Le, would comment on the Esteban case but Dinh stated that "we're here until it's over."

Esteban was arrested just before 10 a.m. Wednesday outside of her home at 35530 Monterra Terrace in the Monte Vista neighborhood of Union City.

Hayward police investigators believe Esteban is the lone suspect in the disappearance of Le. The missing 26-year-old San Mateo resident was last seen leaving Hayward Kaiser hospital, where she was attending clinical rotations as a nursing student, around 7 p.m. on May 27.

Le had told classmates she was picking something up from her car, which was parked inside the hospital's parking garage, but she never returned.

On Wednesday, police said an investigation that included numerous sources of compelling evidence, including DNA evidence, surveillance footage and cell phone records, has led them to believe Esteban to be "responsible for Michelle's demise.” Read more about the arrest and investigation .

Le's body has not been found. Neither has any murder weapon. There are no known witnesses in the case.

However, Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Michael Nieto told Patch on Thursday afternoon that prosecutors have enough evidence to take the case to trial.

"We wouldn't have filed the charges if we didn't think there was evidence beyond a reasonable doubt," said Nieto.


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