Oakland, CA: DUBLIN: WOMAN AND HER PARENTS TO FACE TRIAL FOR DEATH OF 91-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

OAKLAND (BCN)

A judge has ruled that an Oakland woman should stand trial on charges that she attempted to murder her estranged husband and murdered his 91-year-old grandmother because of a custody battle over their 2-year-old daughter.

However, at the end of a preliminary hearing that spanned several weeks, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon said prosecutors didn't produce sufficient evidence to order Rosa Hill, 34, to stand trial on a special circumstance of committing a murder during the course of a burglary in connection with the Jan. 7 incident in which Selma Hill was killed at her home in the 770 block of Peppertree Road in Dublin.

Reardon also ruled late Thursday that Rosa Hill's mother, 56-year-old Mei Li of Antioch, should stand trial on a charge of premeditated attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill Hill's husband, Eric Hill.

But Reardon dismissed a murder charge against Li in connection with the death of Selma Hill, whose battered body was found in a garbage can outside her house.

In addition, Reardon ordered Ping Li, 68, the husband of Mei Li and the father of Rosa Hill, to stand trial on charges of attempted murder and first-degree burglary for allegedly being an aider and abettor in the incident.

Police said Selma Hill had been beaten, choked and shot with a stun gun before she died. Tasers, handcuffs, duct tape and a baton were found at the scene.

Prosecutor Annie Saadi alleged that the crimes were committed because Rosa Hill was trying to take her 2-year-old daughter from Eric Hill.

Eric Hill, who's the father, had sole custody of the girl and 85 percent physical custody. He was living with his grandmother, Selma Hill, at her house in Dublin.

During the hearing, Selma Hill's 91-year-old boyfriend, Lester Rowe, testified that he became concerned and called authorities on Jan. 7 because he had called her seven times that day and there was no answer.

Saadi said in her closing argument on Thursday that she thinks Rosa Hill and her parents came to Selma Hill's home that day to take her 2-year-old daughter because the trial over custody rights was coming up in February and "she was afraid she would lose."

Saadi said Mei Li tried to strangle Eric Hill and "if he had not fought back he would have been strangled."

Rosa Hill and her parents are scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19 to be arraigned.