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Prosecution Rests In Kindergarten Kidnapping Case

By Tony Hanson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The prosecution has rested and the defense has begun with a single character witness in the trial of a 21-year-old woman charged in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl taken from her West Philadelphia school in January of 2013. The little girl was found abandoned and suffering from severe internal injuries the next day.

Latasha Moore, the sister of defendant Christina Regusters, has taken the stand as a character witness, telling the jury her sister has a good reputation for being a peaceful, law abiding person. There could be more defense character testimony when court resumes Wednesday morning.

The defendant, who has pleaded not guilty, is not expected to testify. Earlier in the day, the prosecution rested after two weeks of testimony, it's last major witness a Special Victim's Unit detective. The defendant's DNA was found on the t-shirt worn by the victim when she was found. The defense attorney wanted to know why the little victim wasn't shown a so-called photo array to try to identify the kidnapper.

Detective Daniel O'Malley responded DNA identified her. The defense counters there's no way to know when or how the DNA got on the shirt.

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