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Woman Charged In Fatal Nightclub Beating Says She Wasn't Involved In Attack
A woman charged in the fatal beating of a 23-year-old woman outside of a Santa Ana nightclub claimed in court that she wasn't involved in the attack, according to her attorney.
Vanessa Tapia Zavala, 25, pleaded not guilty to the murder charges of Annie Hung "Kim" Pham on Wednesday. Her attorney says she was "devastated" by the incident, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"No matter what the situation is, you're going to be devastated," he said. "No matter how you look at it, and that's how she feels."
Zavala, who is the mother of a five-year-old boy, was arrested on Monday a charge of one count of murder. She is being held on $1 million bail and could face 15 years in prison if convicted.
Her attorney claims that Zavala did not beat Pham and was knocked over when the fight broke out.
Police are searching for the other four suspects involved in the brutal beating of Pham that left her brain-dead at the Crosby nightclub early Saturday morning. Pham was waiting in line with her friends to get into the club when an argument broke out with another group of people that led to the beating.
Pham was declared brain-dead on Sunday, but was on life support until Tuesday so doctors could harvest her donated organs.
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If you have any information about the incident, contact Santa Ana police at (714) 245-8390.
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