OGDEN, Utah -- Victoria Mendoza is facing first-degree murder charges in the death of Tawnee Baird, her 21-year-old girlfriend.
2nd District Judge Joseph Bean and attorneys for the case set a date for the preliminary hearing at the very beginning of Monday's meeting.
The majority of the hour-long hearing was spent arguing Mendoza's bail amount and whether the accused murderer poses a risk to others.
Mendoza's defense attorney argued that she wasn't a threat to the public.
The bail was initially set at $100,000, then that amount was revoked and a no-bail order was set.
Judge Bean upheld the no-bail order, despite the defense's argument that it was a preemptive punishment for Mendoza.
The victim's parents both expressed relief at the judge's order. "I'm very happy with the no bail; it's appropriate on a murder, 46 times stabbed," Baird's father said. "I'm just really happy we got the no bail for Vicky today, so they could see just how dangerous she is and know what she's done," Tawnee's mother said.
Mendoza is accused of stabbing her girlfriend, Tawnee Baird, 64 times as the two drove up I-15 on October 18.
She will next appear in court on December 22 to discuss the funding of her defense team services, followed by her preliminary hearing in February.
