Man Pleads Not Guilty in Slaying of Wife, Daughter

TORRANCE — A 50-year-old man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he killed his wife and young daughter last month and dumped their bodies into the Los Angeles Harbor.

A diver cleaning boats in Fish Harbor on Sept. 21 discovered the bodies of Yuriko Kuno, also known as Yuriko Taga, 38, and Michelle Taga, 4, strapped together in the murky waters. Two weeks later, police arrested Kazumi Taga at his home near Torrance. He is being held without bail.

Investigators say they believe Taga killed the two shortly after the mother and daughter returned from a two-month trip to Japan. The coroner’s office has not yet identified a cause of death.

Detectives would not discuss any possible motives.

In an interview, a manager of the gated community where the family lived said Kuno had indicated several weeks before her body was discovered that she and her husband were separating.

Former colleagues of Taga said he was having work troubles. About a month before the bodies were discovered, Taga lost the small office space he rented for his Inglewood car accessory marketing company, said Armando Cardoza of Dason Auto Concepts. Dason rented space to Taga and lent part of its name to Taga’s business.

Cardoza said Taga initially had obtained clients for Dason, but that business had dropped off.

“He couldn’t pay the rent,” Cardoza said. Taga came into the office only once every two weeks, he said.

Los Angeles police detectives have requested the public’s help in identifying possible friends of Kuno.

“She may have told friends something that could be important to the case,” said Det. Brian Carr.

Carr said Taga told police his wife had no friends.

Taga entered his plea in Los Angeles, and his preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 2.

Anyone with information may call LAPD detectives at (213) 485-2129.