A man accused of stabbing a 65-year-old woman to death in an apparent random attack at a City Heights Park pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder.
Siliveinusi Patafalai Hamala, 23, is charged in the June 19 slaying of Chi Cao, who was stabbed multiple times at Central Avenue Mini Park.
Hamala was arrested later that day at his home, located a short distance away from the park.
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Cao was a familiar face in her City Heights neighborhood. She was often seen walking or riding her bike along Central Avenue, and exercising at the Central Avenue Mini Park just blocks from the house where she lived with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. According to police, Cao was exercising at the park when she was attacked "apparently without warning" and with no indication "that she was targeted for a specific reason."
A neighbor found Cao and called police just before 8:30 a.m., according to a fundraising page created to assist the victim's family.
Cao died at the scene. Hamala was arrested about nine hours later.
According to the fundraising page, Cao had been a City Heights resident for many years and had recently become a U.S. citizen. In addition to exercising on the day she was killed, the page states that she was collecting recyclable cans, which she did regularly as a means of additional income and to financially assist one of her daughters who was living in Vietnam.
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Cao left Vietnam eight years ago in search of a better life for her family, said a tearful granddaughter Zillyan Tran after the slaying.
Tran was surrounded by the rest of her family when she spoke to NBC 7 lovingly about her grandmother: “She was such a kind lady. Everybody loved her.”
After Hamala's arraignment, Cao's grandson Zesson Tran said the day of Cao's death was "very shattering ... as if the world just collapsed. Our family's going through hard times, but we're staying strong."
Hamala, who has been in custody without bail since the date of his arrest, did not enter a plea at his first court appearance in June because his defense attorney declared a doubt as to his competency to stand trial.
Defendants are considered mentally incompetent to stand trial if they are unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or assist their attorney in their defense. Once a doubt is declared, those defendants are typically evaluated by doctors to determine whether they are fit to stand trial.
Deputy District Attorney Amelia Diedrich said she could not comment on the specifics of Hamala's mental health proceedings, but said the prosecution and defense stipulated last week that he was competent. She also said Hamala was never declared incompetent by a judge at any point.
Hamala has a criminal record out of Maricopa County, Arizona, that includes convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct and other offenses.
Hamala faces up to 26 years to life if convicted of murder and a weapon allegation. He's due back in court on Jan. 31, 2024.
