Murder suspect to stand trial for father’s...

Murder suspect to stand trial for father’s death

A Costa Mesa man accused of shooting his stepfather to death was

ordered Thursday to stand trial.

Dennis Thomas, 50, appeared in a Newport Beach courtroom on

Thursday, facing charges that he shot and killed 69-year-old Arthur

Lee Hayes in their Jasmine Circle home. A Superior Court judge found

enough evidence to try Thomas on murder charges.

Costa Mesa Police found Hayes Jan. 19, after receiving an

anonymous phone call asking them to check on him.

At about the same time, Thomas surrendered to Orange County

sheriff’s deputies and his attorney contacted Costa Mesa Police.

Thomas is scheduled to appear in court again March 15.

Sexual assault trial delayed till Monday

The trial of a Corona del Mar woman accused of sexually molesting

a teenage girl was delayed until Monday. It was supposed to begin

Thursday.

Victoria Hawlish, 41, is charged with five counts of committing a

lewd act on a child in 2003. Newport Beach police arrested Hawlish in

April of 2004 on suspicion that she inappropriately touched a

15-year-old family friend.

The case, which was originally set to go to trial in January, is

now scheduled to start Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

-- Marisa O’Neil