By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
WESTMINSTER, Calif. ― A preliminary hearing in the case of two women charged in connection with the beating death of Kim Pham have been continued until next week.
Candice Marie Brito, 27, and Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 25, remain in custody and charged with the murder of Pham, who was killed last month outside the Crosby nightclub in Santa Ana. Bail has been set at $1 million for each suspect.
This composite of photos provided by the Santa Ana Police Department shows defendants Candace Brito (L) and Vanesa Zavala (R), who are each charged with one felony count of murder in connection with the death of Kim Pham, the 23-year-old woman who was beaten outside a Santa Ana nightclub on Jan. 19. Courtesy of Santa Ana Police Department
Both appeared in a Westminster courtroom for a scheduled preliminary hearing, where a judge will determine whether there is adequate evidence to proceed, on Tuesday. Each woman sat confined, wearing jail-issued dark blue jumpsuits and shackles from the wrists and ankles. Zavala had her hair down on her right shoulder, while Brito sat with her hands hiding her face.
Tuesday’s hearing, however, was continued because Zavala’s attorney, Kenneth Reed, was not able to be present in court. Brito’s attorney, Michael Molfetta, stood in on Reed’s behalf and requested a continuance. The preliminary hearing was rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 10, in Orange County Superior Court in Westminster.
Pham, 23, from Westminster, was assaulted outside of the Crosby nightclub in Santa Ana on Jan. 19. Two days after the attack, she was removed from life support. She died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Orange County Coroner’s office.
Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino was ready to proceed with the hearing; detectives and an officer from the Santa Ana Police Department stood ready to testify. Outside the courtroom, after the proceedings, Pino had no comment. He was expected to show video evidence as well.
Molfetta maintained that his client is innocent.
“I’ve seen the video and have seen what is there to be seen so far,” Molfetta said. He said he has not seen any evidence that has changed his opinion about what occurred on the night of the incident.
