Preliminary Hearing Delayed for Salton City Man Charged in Death of 17-Year-Old T’Neya Tovar

A 51-year-old Salton City man charged in connection with the death of 17-year-old Hemet teen T’Neya Tovar appeared in court again Tuesday, but his preliminary hearing was delayed.

Abraham Feinbloom walked into the Imperial County Superior Court in handcuffs for what was expected to be a key step forward in the case. However, proceedings were cut short after the judge granted a continuance when Feinbloom’s newly retained attorney failed to appear.

Feinbloom, who was arrested on February 13th, pleaded not guilty last week to one count of murder with a firearms enhancement related to Tovar’s death. He will now be represented by criminal defense attorney Melanie Roe, who previously defended him in a 2019 child kidnapping case. Those charges were later dropped.

Inside the courtroom, T’Neya’s father, Joshua Carter, sat just feet away from the man accused of killing his daughter — seeing him in person for the first time.

“You know I lost one of the best things — it’s not my only child, it’s my first child,” Carter said following the hearing. “But the next best thing right now in this situation is to make sure that this gentleman — I don’t even know if you want to call him that — serves time for this and hopefully (we) save more lives.”

T’Neya Tovar was reported missing on December 1st. The investigation took a tragic turn on February 11th, when authorities confirmed that some of the teen’s remains were found less than a mile from Feinbloom’s home in Salton City.

Family members have said T’Neya planned to meet with Feinbloom days before her disappearance, leading them to identify him early on as a potential suspect. After executing multiple search warrants, authorities arrested Feinbloom outside his home on February 13th, after they say he attempted to evade law enforcement.

The court appearance came one day after family members and community supporters gathered for a vigil in T’Neya’s honor outside Feinbloom’s home. Carter said the outpouring of support has provided strength during an unimaginable time.

“I want to tell everybody thank you for all the support, all of the love and appreciation,” Carter said. “I never thought I would go through this. My daughter has touched so many different people in so many different ways. We’re just hoping for the best outcome.”

If convicted on all charges, Feinbloom could face 50 years to life in prison.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th.