The man accused of killing his mother and putting her body in the trunk of her car is not getting a chance to bail out of jail.
Richard Leyva pleaded not guilty today to charges including murder.
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage shows 51-year-old Jamison Webster going to visit her son at a Motel 6 on Tuesday.
It was the last place she went to before they said she was killed.
A not-guilty plea was received from 24-year-old Richard Leyva, accused of killing his mother, hitting his brother with a car, and fleeing from police.
Prosecutors say Leyva moving his mother's body was caught on surveillance video.
“His mother leaves the room, she returns later with some items. And then the next time we see her is later that evening, when he is dragging her by the ankles off the curb along the vehicle, puts her in the back of the trunk of the vehicle. He then goes into the motel 6 room again,” said Yasmin Bigdeli, Deputy District Attorney.
Prosecutors also say his brother came to check on his mother later that afternoon and saw the body. He tried to stop Leyva from driving off and was dragged while the car was moving.
Leyva eventually was arrested after being pursued by police.
Court documents obtained by 10News reveal Leyva was previously diagnosed with “Acute Psychosis” in 2021.
And later diagnosed with an unspecified bipolar disorder while in police custody for threatening deputies with a knife.
Attorneys haven’t said how Leyva’s mental history will come into play.
Jamison’s ex-husband says they’ve been warned in the past about Leyva’s behavior.
“We had cops over to the house to arrest him because he was acting crazy, making threats," Mike Webster said. “One of the officers told us: if you don't get help, somebody's going to die."
The medical examiner’s office said there was evidence of strangulation.
Leyva is currently being held on no bail and facing a maximum of 28 years to life.
His next court date is set for March 7th.
