Court hearings start for woman
charged with slaying Ashley Calanche
September 03, 2014
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
A Santa Paula woman remains in Ventura County Jail on $1.2 million bail after a judge said he would consider allowing evidence of other violent incidents that occurred before the murder of an aspiring area photographer.
Ashley Calanche, 21, was shot about 1 p.m. on September 27, 2013 at Mil Park in the 700 block of North Ojai Road, just blocks from her home.
Santa Paula Police arrested Yajaira Lizette Dominguez, 32, later that same day after a standoff at her mother’s home where Dominguez reportedly threatened to kill herself.
Dominguez is facing a murder charge with a special enhancement of intentionally discharging a firearm when she allegedly shot Calanche after a confrontation at Mill Park.
Dominguez appeared Thursday, August 28, before Superior Court Judge Kevin G. DeNoce where arguments centered on whether to allow evidence of other incidents allegedly involving Dominguez if her murder case goes to trial.
Prosecutor Rebecca Day filed a motion that outlined incidents that occurred before Calanche’s death.
Dominguez allegedly threatened to shoot two individuals, a woman on June 21, 2012 and a man the same day Calanche was murdered, and at other times stabbed or attempted to stab three others.
Day said the other incidents showed Dominguez’s state of mind, emotion and motive - to injure or kill the victim - when she engaged in a fight.
Calanche, an aspiring photographer who was studying at the Brooks Institute had missed her classes that day and was taking pictures at the park with her sister where Dominguez and her friend were also present. According to Day Calanche and Dominguez did not know each other, but Calanche had argued with Dominguez’s friend before; there had been one prior exchange between Calanche and Dominguez on Facebook. Dominguez, according to Day, wanted to vindicate her friend.
Dominguez’s Ventura County Public Defender Ayala Benefraim claimed that while the Facebook exchange could show motive, the other alleged incidents were not connected to Calanche’s shooting and should not be entered into trial evidence.
DeNoce tentatively allowed the prosecution to submit evidence on the two prior shooting incidents because they demonstrated Dominguez’s willingness to use firearms intentionally in disputes but said tentatively disallowed evidence on the stabbing incidents and one other incident to be included.
The Facebook exchange might also be included, but the judge said more arguments could be presented when Dominguez returns to court September 24.
