A California man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend after he set her on fire while she worked at 7-Eleven last year appeared before a judge this week for a preliminary hearing.

Jose Carlos Villanueva, 49, is charged with murder , arson causing great bodily harm, mayhem and torture in the death of 44-year-old Amanda Buchanan.

Cops responded to a fire just after 8 a.m. Aug. 24, 2024, at the 7-Eleven at 899 Broadway in Chula Vista, a San Diego suburb. Smoke billowed from the store's front doors when officers arrived. They found one woman suffering from significant burns outside and could hear another woman's voice coming from the inside.

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