http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_13262766
STOCKTON Melissa Huckaby acted strangely and apparently tried to harm herself in the days leading up to her last court appearance, San Joaquin County Court records show.
The 28-year-old Tracy woman is accused of kidnapping, raping and killing Sandra Cantu, her 8-year-old neighbor, and drugging two other people in cases unrelated to Sandra's. Huckaby, whose 5-year-old daughter was Sandra's playmate, is being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail.
Jail records in Huckaby's court file said that two days before her most recent court hearing on Aug. 17, Huckaby was found hiding behind the mattress in her cell with a blanket tied around her neck. She was taken to the safety cell, the records showed, and later that day she refused to eat dinner.
On Aug. 12, a deputy reported seeing Huckaby sitting next to her bed with a trash can. When asked what was wrong Huckaby replied, "I took pills."
She was taken by ambulance for treatment. That incident took place about an hour and half after she was found lying on the floor in her cell. She told the deputy that she had felt dizzy and passed out. Huckaby was checked by a nurse, and psychiatric staff was called to the scene.
Huckaby had two unexplained scratches on her forehead when she showed up Aug. 17 to hear the five-count indictment against her. Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa asked the judge during that hearing to order Huckaby to attend all her court hearings.