Maid to Face Murder Trial
- Share via
A maid was ordered today to stand trial on a murder charge in the beating death of her employer, Hollywood producer Herbert Wallerstein.
Municipal Court Judge James F. Coleman bound over Mayra Edith Melendez Lopez, 25, for trial at the end of a preliminary hearing in Van Nuys. Lopez claims she killed the 59-year-old Wallerstein in self-defense, using a baseball bat.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
Taped Jan 8, 2026, a year after the Eaton Fire, this episode features Ondi Timoner. After losing her home, she began documenting the displacement and financial struggles of her neighbors, joining My Tribe Rise to help Altadena rebuild and recover.
Attorney Frank Carson defended the accused for decades. Framed for murder and later acquitted, a star witness admitted he lied. Stanislaus County paid $22.5M to settle his estate’s lawsuit.
In this specially released bonus episode, Madison McGhee and Jami Rice share some extremely opinionated opinions about everything from the Menendez Brothers to Jax Taylor. And just so you know, they are absolutely, one hundred percent right about everything.
