Kristin Smart's Disappearance Suspect Was a Former Classmate

A former classmate has been arrested in connection with the murder and disappearance of Kristin Smart in 1996.

Paul Flores was previously named the "prime suspect." He was reported to have walked Smart home from the party, according to authorities.

Smart was a 19-year-old freshman at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She disappeared on May 25, 1996 after attending a party near school, according to an ABC News Go.

Flores was arrested after almost 25 years of the case being unsolved. He is currently being held without bail, according to San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson.

Flores' father, Ruben Flores, was also arrested. Sheriff's deputies searched his home. However, he said that the search warrants were sealed and that he could not publicly discuss what evidence was found.

"We have not recovered Kristin. We will continue to focus on finding her remains," Parkinson was quoted in The New York Times report.

The Suspects

Flores was a Cal Poly student at the time of Smart's disappearance. He denied being involved in her disappearance.

After previously dubbing Flores as a person of interest in their investigation, the police started to refer to him in recent months as a "prime suspect."

The Sheriff's Office said they had obtained a warrant to search Ruben Flores' residence in March. Police had used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search the property.

The lawyer for the older Flores, Robert Sanger, had declined to comment on Tuesday.

The authorities had earlier searched both the homes of Ruben and Paul. Last February, investigators recovered "some items of interest" after conducting search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State.

The authorities also recovered two trucks that belonged to Flores family members in 1996 and 36 pieces of evidence collected after Smart's disappearance.

The younger Flores was earlier arrested by the police in Los Angeles on a charge of firearms possession by a felon.

He was also earlier arrested for driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, the Smart family said they had waited for this day, adding that they pray this will be the first step in bringing their daughter home.

President of the university, Jeffrey D. Armstrong, said that the news brings sadness, relief, and hope for the end of the situation.

The Case

Parkinson revealed that his office had managed to interview more people in 2019, expressing his gratitude to the podcast that covered the cold case, according to an NBC News report.

Smart was never found and was declared legally dead by her family in 2002. Her disappearance has drawn national attention for decades after she was last seen alive.

Flores was named a key witness by police in July 1996 but was never officially been charged in connection with Smart's disappearance until recently, according to another NBC News report.

The suspect has been the subject of many police inquiries and searches.

Parkinson said that he hopes they are able to take the first steps for justice for the Smart family, as well as peace for the community.

Smart would have been 37 last February.

WATCH: Person of interest arrested in 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart - from CBS 8 San Diego