Woman Charged in Son-in-Law’s Death : Courts: Northridge grandmother’s arraignment is delayed a week to give her attorney time to review case.

In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, a Northridge grandmother was formally charged with murdering her son-in-law Halloween night, and prosecutors made special allegations that could lead to the death penalty.

Jo Lulu Haynes, 73, appeared in Van Nuys Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon, but her arraignment was delayed a week to give her attorney time to review the charges.

Haynes allegedly shot Kenneth Lisi, 43, when he arrived at the home Haynes shared with her daughter, Lisi’s estranged wife. Police reports indicate that Haynes had asked Lisi to come to her house, saying he could pick up his children, who she said were visiting their mother there.

Lisi and his wife, Pamela, were in the middle of a bitter custody dispute over their two daughters. Lisi was awarded custody less than two months ago when a judge determined that a medical condition prevented their mother from providing complete care and that allegations of child molestation against their father were groundless.

Pamela Lisi and the children were not at the Louise Avenue home when Kenneth Lisi was shot four times, and prosecutors allege that Haynes knew that they would not be when she summoned Lisi, creating the false pretense that forms part of the special circumstances allegations. It is unclear where the mother and children were.

“She told the victim to come to her house knowing that his children were not there, so she enticed him to that location,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert L. Cohen said. “When he arrived, she executed him.”

In addition to murder, prosecutors have alleged that Haynes was lying in wait for Lisi. A conviction on that special circumstance charge carries two possible penalties: life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

Witnesses reported that Haynes shot Lisi once in the leg, causing him to fall to the ground. Haynes then stood over the victim and fired three rounds into his chest, authorities said.

Lisi was expecting his wife to drop off the children, ages 4 and 11, at his parents’ Chatsworth home and sensed something was amiss when Haynes called, Cohen said. When he drove to Northridge, Lisi carried papers documenting that he had custody of the children and his parents followed in a second car, authorities said.

From their car, Ernest and Fay Lisi watched their son being shot. They rushed to the house, tackled Haynes and took the gun away, Cohen said.

Judge Michael E. Knight ordered Haynes to return to court Tuesday, when he will set bail.