A 27-year-old homeless woman accused of fatally shooting a man inside a parked car in Santa Monica is due back in court in March on a murder charge and other counts stemming from other alleged crimes in the Los Angeles area.
Kayla Delise Mackie was charged Tuesday with murder, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and second-degree robbery, according to court records. The charges include multiple allegations of use of a firearm.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday and is due back in court at the Airport Branch Courthouse March 21, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for her to stand trial, according to court records.
Mackie is accused of fatally shooting 46-year-old William Edwards III, of Los Angeles, around 10:25 p.m. Jan. 25 in the 2600 block of 29th Street, near Ocean Park Boulevard. Santa Monica police said Williams was shot while sitting in his parked car. There was no immediate word on a motive for the shooting.
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Edwards was a music producer who worked with a number of rap and hip-hop artists and ran a recording studio in Hollywood.
Mackie was arrested the following day in West Los Angeles. She remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.
Santa Monica police said investigators determined that Mackie was also "responsible for additional crimes in Los Angeles, including an armed robbery and an attempted homicide."
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Details on those additional allegations were not immediately available. Court records indicate the alleged crimes occurred the day before the fatal shooting.
"Last week's senseless killing on 29th Street has left all of us shocked" Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock said in a statement. "My heart goes out to William's family and friends, and my thoughts are with all who were affected by this tragic event.
"While nothing can take away the pain this incident has brought to our community, I am proud of the outstanding police work our officers showed to quickly apprehend the suspect and ensure she is brought to justice. I stand behind the strong message from Santa Monica Police: There is no place for any type of violence, particularly gun violence, in our city."
Friends told Fox11 Edwards was a music producer who worked with artists including Travis Scott and Lil Cobaine. He was the father of two young boys.
Anyone with information regarding the fatal shooting was urged to contact SMPD Detective Ismael Tavera at Ismael.Tavera@santamonica.gov or Detective Sgt. Ryan Gradle at ryan.gradle@santamonica.gov, or the watch commander at 310-458-8427.
