Woman pleads not guilty in Simi Valley crash that killed her wife, a police officer

A woman pleaded not guilty Friday to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated stemming from a New Year's Day car crash in Simi Valley that killed her wife, a Los Angeles police officer who was her passenger.

It was the second time Alayna Monroe, 25, pleaded not guilty in the felony case. The first time was in March after being charged in February. Friday's plea came after she was ordered to stand trial in the case at the conclusion of her preliminary hearing in September.

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Friday's plea was entered on Monroe's behalf by Superior Court Judge Bruce Young. Monroe did not actually utter the words "not guilty."

Simi Valley police say an intoxicated Monroe was driving south on Sycamore Drive at 2:11 a.m. Jan. 1 when she ran a red light and slammed into another vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Cochran Street.

Monroe's wife, Los Angeles Police Department officer Heather Monroe, was in the passenger seat of the defendant's car and suffered fatal injuries. She was off duty.

The driver and passenger of the other car, which was being used as an Uber vehicle, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Monroe is scheduled to return to court Nov. 20 for a pre-trial hearing. If convicted, she could be sentenced to up to six years in prison. She remains free on $50,000 bail.