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Costa Mesa Actor, 28, Indicted For 2 Murders Including Dismemberment Of Neighbor

SANTA ANA (CBS) —  A 28-year-old Costa Mesa actor was indicted by a grand jury Thursday  in connection with the dismemberment murder of a neighbor and the slaying of the neighbor's friend nearly two years ago.

Daniel Patrick Wozniak was indicted for murder in the deaths of 26-year-old Samuel Eliezer Herr and 23-year-old Juri Julie Kibuishi of Irvine in May 2010, Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy said.

Murphy said he sought the indictment to speed up the legal process.

Defense attorneys kept saying they weren't ready for the preliminary hearing, so the indictment takes away the need for that type of hearing, Murphy said.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Wozniak.

Wozniak, a community theater actor, would allegedly go on stage for a production of "Nine" in Fullerton after each slaying.

Wozniak killed Herr at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base, prosecutors allege. Then he lured Kibuishi back to Herr's apartment, fatally shot her and then took off some of her clothes to make it appear Herr killed her, prosecutors theorize.

Wozniak then returned to the theater on the military base where he allegedly dismembered the victim and tried to get rid of the body parts in the El Dorado Park Nature Center in Long Beach. Authorities have alleged the second murder was to cover his tracks in the first crime.

Wozniak was arrested at his bachelor's party at a Huntington Beach restaurant. Authorities allege he killed Herr to steal his savings and pay for his wedding and honeymoon.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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