"A woman ran out of the cul de sac and said someone got stabbed"

The preliminary hearing for Kyle Zoellner, the suspect charged with the death of HSU student David Josiah Lawson got started this morning.

Lila Ortega, his girlfriend testified for almost two hours this morning. At times getting tearing and breaking down when she described Zoellner in a fetal position on the grass outside 1120 Spear Avenue, being surrounded by "about 15 people" kicking him.

Ortega described the events if April 14, arriving at the party, looking for her cell phone,calling Kyle to come pick up her and her friends to the time police got there.



Some key quotes:


"I told him my phone was misplaced or stolen and Kyle said we could get you a new phone."

"They got mad, they got aggressive with him (Kyle) and said, "are you accusing us of stealing your phone?"

"I said we are not accusing, we are just asking." Ortega said this was said in a normal tone. "They punched me in the face after that." Ortega said these were two males, who looked like athletes. She described the man allegedly hit her as having a "kinda closed fist and elbowed me in the face."

"We tried to leave and a bunch of people came out and started beating us up."

"People surrounded Kyle and a few girls fought me." Later, Ortega said that the girl fighting, she learned after identifying a photo was "Josiah's girlfriend."

According to Ortega, Zoellner was unconscious after the alleged kicking when someone came out and yelled about a stabbing.

She was asked by Deputy District Attorney Roger Rees, "Do you recall saying, I hope he dies" and "I hope that nigger dies". Ortega answered "no" to both questions.

Ortega said her friend Naiya Wilkins intervened to help her and the girl she claims is Josiah"s girlfriend stopped fighting her, she over to"hover over Kyle" who was in the ground and claims "a guy with dreads and really tall said, I' m getting a pistol."

She told Mr. Rees she did not see a pistol or knife that night.