Larry Millete returns to court for hearing to modify criminal protective order

    CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Larry Millete, the Chula Vista man accused in the 2021 disappearance and death of his wife Maya, was back in court for a hearing on Monday.

Prosecutors said they called Monday's hearing because they discovered Larry's aunt sent him a letter that, inside of it, contained letters from his children.

The hearing resulted in a modification of the criminal protective order already in place.

After Monday's hearing, Larry is not allowed to communicate in any way with his three children. He is, however, now allowed phone and video calls with anyone except the kids.

The judge issued a warning to Larry and his aunt, warning them that violating the protective order could get them in trouble.

"Contact means anything and everything, smoke signals, texts, whatever, even through a third party, read the order. It is written by a lawyer who is very broad and includes almost every kind of contact you could dream up of," Judge Enrique Camarena said to Millete.

Maya Millete disappeared in January 2021. Larry was arrested in connection with her death months after she was last seen.

Last August, Maya's sister, Maricris, won the custody battle for Maya's children. The children were previously under the care of Larry's parents.

While that guardianship case was resolved, the children and Larry were allowed to communicate via letter, but those letters had to be screened by a court-appointed person. Since that case is now over, and there's no one appointed to screen the letters, that communication was supposed to end.

Larry Millete's next court date is set for April. His trial is set to start in July.