Prelim pending in girlfriend slaying

Solano County Superior Court proceedings have been reset once again for a 35-year-old Fairfield man charged with the July slaying of his girlfriend.

Hugo Ulises Avelino-Medina was scheduled to appear Monday in Department 9 for a readiness conference and to set a preliminary hearing, but Judge Carlos R. Gutierrez rescheduled the matters, ordering the defendant to return at 8:30 a.m. May 24 to learn of the hearing date in the Justice Center in Fairfield.

Avelino-Medina, who remains in the Stanton Correctional Facility in Fairfield without bail, has pleaded not guilty to firstdegree murder of Erika Avelino, 36, of Fairfield. He also is charged with DUI and a probation violation, with both offenses occurring at the time of his arrest at 2:47 p.m. July 8 in San Rafael, according to jail records.

Events first unfolded around 11 a.m. in Fairfield, when police officers responded to the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue for a report of domestic violence.

Upon arrival, they found Avelino's body.

A preliminary investigation revealed Avelino-Medina was the suspect. He had fled before officers arrived, officials said.

However, his vehicle was found in San Rafael and recovered by Fairfield police. The California Highway Patrol aided in the recovery.

With the help of the Marin County Sheriff's Office and San Rafael Police Department, Avelino-Medina was found and arrested at Medway Road and Front Street in San Rafael.

He was later booked into Solano County Jail in Fairfield.

If found guilty at trial, Avelino-Medina faces 25 years to life for murder, with the possibility of more time for enhancements or included offenses.