Trial for woman accused in 2019 shooting set to start next week

LAS CRUCES - A woman accused of shooting at another woman two years ago is set to face a jury next week.

Danielle Kelso, 50, was indicted by a grand jury in 2019 on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, battery and aggravated assault against a household member.

According to the affidavit, police accused Kelso of shooting her then-partner's neighbor in the Quail Ridge Apartments, 251 N. Roadrunner Parkway, after Kelso suspected they were having an affair.

On July 1, 2019, Kelso had been staying with her then-partner when the two got into a fight, police said. Kelso's then-partner asked her to leave, but Kelso refused. The then-partner attempted to defuse the situation by going into another room and reading a book.

However, a few minutes later, the then-partner heard Kelso threatening the neighbor. Then, Kelso allegedly got a gun from inside the apartment and shot at the neighbor but did not hit her, police said. The then-partner wrestled the gun away from Kelso before police arrived, according to the affidavit.

In interviews with police after the shooting, the then-partner and the neighbor said they knew each other only in passing.

The affidavit also said that Kelso would not confirm if she and her then-partner were ever romantically involved, but told police that she was homeless. Kelso also said that she did not shoot at the neighbor nor touch the gun at any point during the alleged altercation. She went on to say that she was unaware a gun had even been fired on the day of the shooting.

Since her arrest in July 2019, Kelso has spent the better part of the last two and half years in jail. Court records show that prosecutors filed a motion for pretrial detention in August 2019 that was ultimately approved by a judge.

Since then, Kelso has been unable to convince a judge that she should be granted a bond or released from jail under supervision, court records show.

Third Judicial District Judge Conrad Perea allocated two days for the trial despite a lengthy witness list from the prosecution. The shooting victim, former partner and building manager are scheduled to testify along with over a dozen police officers. In total, prosecutors are scheduled to call 23 witnesses as they try to prove that Kelso shot at the neighbor.

As prosecutors look to lean on recreating the alleged events of two and half years ago, Kelso's defense has raised questions about whether Kelso knew what was happening in July 2019.

Kelso's defense will call on a neuropsychologist to testify about a mental health report that was conducted on Kelso in November 2019. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will also meet prior to the trial to discuss whether the defense can argue that, because Kelso was not in her right mind, she can't be convicted of crimes such as attempted murder.

While that hearing date has not yet been set, it will have to take place sometime before Dec. 9, when Kelso's two-day trial is set to begin.

Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com or on Twitter @Just516garc.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Trial for woman accused in 2019 shooting set to start next week