New court date set for Rolling Hills Estates 2018 mall parking lot stabbing suspect
A woman who was arrested, then released in connection with the 2018 Rolling Hills Estates mall parking lot stabbing death was arrested again in August, and made a Torrance court appearance Tuesday morning for her arraignment -- which was rescheduled for Oct. 25.
On August 16, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office filed charges of murder and robbery against Cherie Lynnette Townsend, 45. She was first arrested on May 16, 2018, in connection with the daytime attack and stabbing death in the Promenade on the Peninsula mall of 66-year-old Susan Leeds, a retired nurse.
Six days following the 2018 arrest, Townsend was released pending further evidence in the case.
The daytime mall attack and death stunned the sleepy, affluent Rolling Hills Estates community as Leeds, a mother of two was found with several stab wounds to her chest and her throat cut in her Mercedes SUV.
At the time of Townsend's first arrest in 2018, officials said they believed she intended to rob Leeds and did not know her personally. It was called a random crime of opportunity.
A man who had been called a person of interest was detained a day after Leeds was killed, but he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect in the murder. He was, however, arrested for an unrelated offense.
Townsend is currently being held on $2 million bail. It is not known yet what additional evidence investigators uncovered to link Townsend to the murder. At Tuesday's Torrance court arraignment date, Townsend's attorney recused himself from the case and the defendant was assigned a public defender, with a rescheduled Oct. 25 court date.
After her 2018 release, Townsend filed a civil rights lawsuit against Rolling Hills Estates and the Sheriff's Department seeking $12 million claiming false arrest and imprisonment, unlawful search and seizure, violation of due process, defamation, infliction of emotional distress and negligent investigation.
This lawsuit has not been resolved.
