A Utah man who allegedly tried to strangle a woman to death during a robbery outside her home is scheduled to be back in court later this month.
Daniel Ovidiu Pasca, 44, is charged with attempted murder, robbery and interrupting a communication device in Third District Court in Salt Lake City.
On Friday, Pasca appeared briefly with his court-appointed attorney for a scheduling conference before Judge Vernice Trease. The judge set a disposition for Feb. 24, according to the official minutes from the proceedings.
The charges against Pasca stem from an August 2011 attack on Hillary Livingston outside her Salt Lake County home, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court. Livingston told police that as she left her car after arriving home from work, Pasca came walking towards her and said he needed to talk to her. Livingston said Pasca walked up to her and punched her in the face, according to the affidavit.
Livingston said she began to call 911 on her phone and then saw that Pasca was inside her car, with his legs hanging outside the door. Livingston then ran to the car and shut the door on Pasca’s legs, according to the affidavit.
An angered Pasca then allegedly struck Livingston in the face again, grabbed her by the throat with one hand and threw her phone over a fence with the other hand. Then, according to Livingston, Pasca threw her to the ground and while on top of her, began strangling her with both hands.
A neighbor heard Livingston’s screams and came to her aid, detaining Pasca until Salt Lake City police arrived, the affidavit states.
Prosecutors say Pasca told police that he wanted cigarettes from Livingston’s car.
Pasca remains in the Salt Lake County Jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond. Jail records indicate Pasca is a U.S. citizen, though he was born in Romania.
In January, Pasca was deemed competent to stand trial based on mental health evaluations by two experts, despite suffering from schizoaffective disorder and/or schizophrenia.
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