Victoria Marie Taggart, 50, also known as Victoria Marie Vallerga, is charged with negligent discharge of a firearm and animal cruelty, both felonies.
Taggart, who remains in Shasta County jail in lieu of $35,000 bail, initially told Superior Court Judge Dan Flynn that she did not want a public defense attorney to represent her.
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| Victoria Marie Taggart |
She said she wanted to retain a private attorney, but relented to the appointment after saying she needed about a month to try to hire a private attorney.
"No, I don't want that," she said after Flynn told her she would have to stay in jail while she tried to hire private counsel to represent her.
Even though the public defender's office was appointed, Taggart, who does not have a criminal history, can have that office relieved from her case should she successfully hire a private attorney.
A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf at Tuesday's arraignment and Taggart is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Sept. 18.
Taggart was arrested early Thursday after police said she was found screaming in her backyard and firing multiple shots around 3:40 a.m.
Taggart said she shot her dog, found dead inside a bedroom, and that she believed someone was trying to break into her home, police have said.
Her reports of a break-in, however, were unfounded, police said.
A neighbor and friend, Kristen Kent, said Tuesday after the arraignment that he was still trying to make sense of what transpired Thursday morning, noting that Taggart adored her 5-year-old border collie mix, Tula.
"She loved that dog," he said. "She took him everywhere with her."
Kent, who noted that Taggart lost her husband to cancer about a year ago, has had difficulty dealing with her loss.
"I want her treated with respect," he said. "She's a good person."
Still, he said, he and others do not understand what happened that early Thursday morning.
"Nobody understands it," he said.
Sgt. Pete Brindley said it's unknown whether Taggart might have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but noting that a blood draw was taken from her.
Police have said Taggart fired about 13 rounds from a 9 mm pistol and that numerous bullet holes were found in the rear of the residence and that a sliding glass door had been shattered.
(redding.com - Sept 5, 2012)
