There was no reportable action from a felony settlement conference Thursday for a woman accused in the hit-and-run death of a Menifee teenager. That means the court proceedings move ahead to a preliminary hearing on Nov. 13.
Melody Valdez, 21, of Temecula entered not guilty pleas to felony murder and two other charges on Sept. 29. She was arrested on Sept. 15 when, during a police chase, her vehicle struck and killed 13-year-old Cody Villatoro as he rode his e-bike at the intersection of Holland Road and Evans Road.
In a preliminary hearing, the judge hears both sides, studies the evidence, and decides whether there is probable cause to proceed to a trial. This is a standard court proceeding in such cases.
Valdez is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside with bail set at $1 million.
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