As jury selection began, Calvin Sharp, 29, withdrew his not guilty plea and pleaded guilty to killing 6-year-old Sev’n Molina on Aug. 12, 2007, but said he was insane.

On Nov. 6, the man who now admits he used a meat cleaver to kill the little boy, agreed to let Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin DeNoce, rather than a jury, decide whether he was insane and should go to a mental health facility or be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

With the help of his lawyer, Todd Howeth, Sharp pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with two special circumstances: burglary during the commission of a slaying and committing mayhem during the murder.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated mayhem. As Sev’n was being murdered with the meat cleaver outside his family’s Newbury Park apartment, his mother, Sandra Ruiz, 35, was injured by Sharp as she tried to protect her child. Neighbor Diane Cox was also injured when she tried to stop the attack.

Sharp also pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for killing his dog, Knuckles.

Sharp entered a second set of pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity. The judge will listen to testimony from prosecution and defense witnesses during a mental health hearing scheduled for Jan. 12.

Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten announced May 15 that the death penalty would not be sought for Sharp.

—Nancy Needham