An orthopedic surgeon accused of attempted murder at Zodo’s bowling alley in Goleta pleaded not guilty on Friday.
Theresa Colosi, 55, is charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the Dec. 8 incident.
She appeared before Judge Monica Marlow for her arraignment and bail hearing. Judge Marlow accepted Ms. Colosi’s plea and set a preliminary hearing setting conference for Thursday and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 9.
Ms. Colosi’s attorney, Robert Sanger, filed a bail motion, but withdrew it the morning of the arraignment.
The preliminary hearing will determine whether evidence is sufficient for Ms. Colosi to stand trial as charged.
At around 9:30 a.m. Dec. 8, deputies responded to a report of a fight in the parking lot of Zodo’s bowling alley. 5925 Calle Real in Goleta.
They found a female victim with severe injuries to her head and face. According to a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department statement, the victim was a contractor providing court-ordered supervision of a visit between Ms. Colosi and her 12-year-old son
“During the visitation, Colosi began to act suspicious while walking with her son, which caught the victim’s attention. Colosi then swung a metal object at the victim, hitting her in the head several times,” read the statement.
The victim told the child to run into the bowling alley for help, Ms. Colosi allegedly began to follow but then fled in her vehicle.
An investigation revealed Ms. Colosi used a fake name to charter a private jet from Lompoc Airport to Glacier International Airport in Montana.
She also allegedly withdrew $900,000 from her bank account.
Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives filed a warrant for Ms. Colosi’s arrest and law enforcement in Whitefish conducted surveillance on her suspected hideout.
On Dec. 16, Whitefish detectives spotted Ms. Colosi getting into a cab. They stopped the cab and arrested her.
Ms. Colosi is a licensed physician specializing in orthopedic surgery and oncology. She was also licensed to practice in Oregon until her license expired in 2018.
email: pgonzalez@newspress.com
