Joran van der Sloot, center, is escorted by Peruvian police in Lima on June 5, 2010.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Attorney for Joran van der Sloot was expecting charges
NEW: There will be a hearing for the defense to respond to charges
Van der Sloot was arrested in June of last year
He was officially charged on Thursday with murder and theft
(CNN) -- Peruvian authorities have charged Joran van der Sloot with murder in the case of the death of a Peruvian woman.
Van der Sloot was arrested in June of last year, but was not formally charged until Thursday.
Prosecutors are asking for a 30-year prison sentence and a restitution of $73,000 to the family of Stephany Flores. They also charged van der Sloot with theft.
Charged alongside van der Sloot were three Peruvian drivers who allegedly helped him flee Peru into Chile. Prosecutors want five-year prison sentences for them and fines of about $1,800.
Van der Sloot is now charged with the May 2010 killing of Flores, who was found dead in his Lima hotel room. Police say van der Sloot took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile, where he was arrested a few days later.
Earlier this month, Flores' family urged prosecutors to file their case, warning that van der Sloot could be released by December unless the case goes ahead. Under Peruvian law, if a suspect's trial doesn't begin within 18 months of his arrest, he is set free.
Investigators delivered their case file to prosecutors in June for a decision on charges.
No date has been set for trial.
Van der Sloot's attorney said that the defense was expecting the charges to be filed, given the high-profile nature of the case.
"We think 30 years is too much for this crime since it was an isolated incident without any further acts of violence," Luis Jimenez Navarro said. "We have had cases in Peru under similar circumstances that have gotten less than 25 years."
The next stage is a hearing in about 15 days where the defense will respond to the charges, Jimenez said.
Van der Sloot was once the prime suspect in the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, who vanished while on a graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba. He was arrested twice but never charged in connection with Holloway's disappearance, which remains unsolved
Glad he's finally being brought to justice. Just wish he would bring some closure to Natalie Holloway's family. And maybe it's just me, but, I don't believe these two women are his only victims.
He'll never give Beth Holloway closure unless there's something in it for him.He's just that kind of slime ball.
As for the idea that he's had more victims than Stephany and Natalee well,I'm on the fence with that.He honest to God is way too ignorant to be any kind of criminal mastermind.He couldn't be any kind of serial killer and not have gotten caught but I suspect he's pulled off some shady like date raping girls,petty theft,maybe even credit card scams.
Let's face it:homeboy IS a liar and has admitted to killing one woman.Who really knows what he could have done?
CNN is reporting that Joran Van Der Sloot,main suspect of the dissapearance of Natalee Hollaway in Aruba and the murder of Stefany Perez in Lima,Peru will be pleading guilty to all charges to killing Stephany.
His trial originally intended for him to plead not guilty to lesser charges involved in the crime,such as theviery but he decided to plead guilty at the last minute,in hopes for a reduction in sentence. Van Der Sloot's lawyer commented that the intention was for Joran was to make a "sincere and truthful confession."
In addition he is also wanted in the United States for fraud for embezzling $25k from the family of Natalee Holloway in exchanged for information as to the whereabouts of Natalee's remains.