The man accused of being the "Chandler Rapist" is expected to appear in a Mesa courtroom this morning for a status conference in another of what will likely be a long series of hearings leading up to the trial.
Santana Batiz Aceves, 39, is charged with 47 counts including child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor, kidnapping, aggravated assault and burglary.
Police say he attacked six young girls from June 2006 to November 2007.
On April 9, Judge Theresa A. Sanders denied Batiz Aceves' request to have the trial moved out of Maricopa County.
The construction worker who called himself Ricardo Lopez was arrested Jan. 13, less than 24 hours after police said DNA test results confirmed that he was a match for a serial rapist who had been stalking and raping young girls in Chandler.
Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, Batiz Aceves began living in the United States illegally in 1988 and lived in Sacramento for nearly 16 years, where he worked for a construction company.
Three of the victims were students at Andersen Junior High School, police said.
In all but one of the cases, police believe, the rapist followed the victims for weeks, targeting single-parent homes.
In the incidents, the rapist studied the parent's routine, developed a quick escape route and then struck, police said.
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