A Chula Vista man has been charged with murder for reportedly setting his ex-girlfriend on fire at the 7-Eleven convenience store where she worked, causing fatal burn injuries.
Jose Carlos Villanueva, 47, is accused of dousing 44-year-old Amanda Buchanan with gasoline and lighting her on fire on Aug. 24.
The 8 a.m. fire also injured another employee of the 7-Eleven, which is located on Broadway in Chula Vista.
Villanueva was initially charged with attempted murder and pleaded not guilty last week. However, Buchanan died at a hospital shortly after his arraignment.
Prosecutors have now charged him with murder and special-circumstance allegations of lying in wait and committing the killing in the commission of torture and mayhem.
He also faces charges of torture, mayhem, arson causing great bodily injury, assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm. A criminal complaint states the alleged fatal arson was committed while Villanueva was out on bail in a separate case.
If Villanueva is convicted, he would face either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Villanueva was arrested about six hours after the fire in the city of Redlands in San Bernardino County. Officers found the vehicle parked at a gas station, with Villanueva inside.
A GoFundMe page created to support Buchanan’s family described her as “a beloved mother, daughter and friend who touched the lives of everyone she met with her kindness, warmth, strength and unwavering spirit. Amanda’s untimely passing leaves a profound void in our hearts and in the lives of her loved ones.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
