Prelim hearing set for Newhall woman

25-year-old accused of shooting, killing boyfriend outside Canoga Park bar

A preliminary hearing has been set for a Newhall woman accused of killing her boyfriend after she allegedly shot him to death in the parking lot of a Canoga Park bar.

Reyanna Villarreal, 25, who appeared Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando, is charged with one count of murder with allegations she used a handgun and caused great bodily injury and death.

She was ordered to appear back in court Sept. 11 for a preliminary hearing, said Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors will present evidence in the case, and the defense can respond, after which the judge will decide if the case should go to trial.

Villarreal has pleaded not guilty to the charges.She remains in custody with bail set at $3 million.

She is charged with killing Jose Mendoza, 21, in a parking lot near a bar on the 22000 block of Roscoe Boulevard on March 5, Deputy District Attorney Julie Kramer said last month. Bail for Villarreal is set at $3 million. She faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

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