A Canyon Country woman charged with murder for allegedly killing a Saugus mother of six in a DUI crash in October appeared briefly in court Wednesday to set a date for a preliminary hearing.
Alexia Alilah Cina, 21, appeared Wednesday in San Fernando Superior Court to set a date but instead was told to come back to court March 6 and set a date at that time for a preliminary hearing.
“That case has been continued to March 6 for a preliminary hearing setting,” Paul Eakins, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told The Signal Wednesday.
During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors present evidence in the case, and the defense can respond, after which the judge will decide if the case should go to trial.
“The defendant pleaded not guilty to four felony counts during her arraignment in October,” Eakins said.
Cina faces one felony count each of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury and driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol content causing injury.
Prosecutors alleged Cina inflicted great bodily injury upon the woman killed in the crash, Katie Snyder Evans.
On Oct. 6, Cina was allegedly driving southbound on Golden Valley Road at a high rate of speed when she hit the center median and crashed into Evans’ vehicle on the northbound side of the road, prosecutors said.
If convicted as charged, Cina faces a possible maximum sentence of 18 years to life in state prison.
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