David Creato's Ex-Girlfriend Testifies In Murder Trial

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — The woman the prosecution says inspired David “DJ” Creato to kill his 3-year-old son in October of 2015 took the stand during his murder trial on Tuesday, according to published reports. Creato is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child in the death of his son, Brendan. Since the day Creato was indicted on Jan. 12, 2016, Assistant Prosecutor Christine Shah has said she believes Creato murdered his son because his girlfriend hates children and was jealous of the relationship Creato had with his son.

On Tuesday, Julia Stensky testified that she never asked Creato to kill his son, the Philly Voice reports. She also said she and Creato are no longer in a relationship, and the last time she spoke to him was the day before he was indicted.

She was called to the stand as a witness for the prosecution, although her claim that she never asked Creato to kill his son came in response to a question from defense attorney Richard J. Fuschino Jr., according to the report.

She was reluctant to testify at all, and even attempted to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, 6 ABC reports. She initially answered questions without the jury in the courtroom, before Judge John Kelley ordered her to testify in front of the jury.

She said she wasn’t happy when Creato had his son with him, but acknowledged that he was a good father, the Courier Post reports. The two met online in the summer of 2015, and their relationship continued into the fall. She testified that Creato's son wasn't the only aspect of his life she was troubled by.

Stensky described Creato as "kind of broke." He worked for his father's window company, and he wasn't always paid on time. As a result, she often paid for their meals when they went out to eat, according to the report.

She said Creato often tried to find a babysitter for his son because she asked him to, Fox 29 reports. When Brendan slept over he would sleep on his father's couch. Stensky said she could hear the child when he slept because he had asthma and breathed loudly.

“I was 17 at the time, I just didn’t think I was ready for the responsibility of caring for another woman’s toddler," Stensky said, according to CBS 3.

She admitted her immaturity at the time. She said she even suggested Creato give up his parental rights, according to the report. Creato shared custody of Brendan with the child's mother, Samantha Denoto, who has previously testified.

Stensky was with the father and son the weekend before Brendan disappeared and was later found deceased near the Cooper River. She spent the night with them on Friday, but returned to school before Brendan was reported missing the following Tuesday morning.

She initially spoke to investigators the day Brendan disappeared, but declined to speak to authorities any further after hiring an attorney, The Associated Press reports. She isn’t a suspect because there's proof she was at college at Pace University in New York when Brendan disappeared.

Fuschino previously questioned the depth of their relationship, pointing out that Creato initially misidentified the girl as Julia Spensky.

Brendan Creato was last seen alive on Oct. 12, 2015, when his grandmother dropped him off at his father’s apartment. Creato reported his son missing early on Oct. 13, 2015, and the toddler's body was found at about 9 a.m. by investigators.

Creato was indicted three months later. From the beginning, the prosecution has pointed to 9,487 texts the couple exchanged during their relationship, including 578 the weekend before Brendan Creato’s death.

Creato's close friend and high school chum Kevin Kehs also testified on Tuesday. He described Creato as a peaceful and quiet man who loved his son. After testifying, he told philly.com, "“I know he didn't do it.”

Attached image: Julia Stensky testifies at the murder trial of her former boyfriend, David Creato, Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Camden N.J. Creato is accused of killing his 3-year-old son in October 2015 because he allegedly was an impediment to his relationship with a teenage girlfriend. ( Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)