Woman to stand trial in slaying

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 | 9:41 a.m.

A 25-year-old Californian accused of killing a 51-year-old Las Vegas woman on Thanksgiving Day will stand trial, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle ruled Monday.

Susan Aguilar of Fontana, Calif., is scheduled for arraignment before District Judge John McGroarty on April 4 for the killing of Guadalupe Hernandez during a family Thanksgiving celebration in Hernandez's home on the 1800 block of Battle Born Drive.

Oesterle's ruling came 10 days after the conclusion of Aguilar's two-day preliminary hearing. The judge delayed her ruling saying she wanted to review the testimony to see if enough evidence existed to bind Aguiliar over on the murder charge.

During Aguilar's preliminary no witnesses could say whether Aguilar shot a gun or had a motive to kill Hernandez.

Two witnesses testified Aguilar was at the scene of the crime and fled after the killing, but neither saw her shoot nor possess a gun.

A third witness, Aguilar's ex-boyfriend and Hernandez's son, Francisco "Frank" Hernandez, said after seeing his mother lying dead on the ground he saw Aguilar driving away from the house.

He said he managed to get inside the car and Aguilar had a .38-caliber handgun sitting in her lap and she said "it was an accident."