This week, a California man accused of a horrific attack that led to his ex-girlfriend’s death made an appearance in court for a preliminary hearing. Jose Carlos Villanueva, aged 49, faces charges including murder, arson resulting in great bodily harm, mayhem, and torture for the tragic death of 44-year-old Amanda Buchanan.

The incident unfolded on August 24, 2024, when authorities were called to a 7-Eleven located at 899 Broadway in Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego, following reports of a fire just after 8 a.m. Upon arrival, officers were met with smoke pouring from the front doors of the convenience store. Outside, they discovered a woman suffering from severe burns and could hear another woman’s voice coming from within the premises.

Police managed to rescue Buchanan, who was incapacitated and unable to escape on her own. Both Buchanan and another female employee were urgently transported to a nearby hospital. Sadly, Buchanan succumbed to her injuries a few days later, while her colleague, despite sustaining serious injuries, survived the ordeal.

Buchanan’s son has since reviewed the store’s surveillance footage, which captured the tragic events that unfolded that day.

Buchanan’s son said that he reviewed the surveillance footage from inside the store.

“She couldn’t see him come in,” Dominic Rivera told local ABC affiliate KGTV. “As he came in, she had her back turned to go to the bathroom. He rushed in with a can of gasoline, doused her with it, they got into a scuffle, and that’s when he set her on fire.”

Her co-worker tried to put out the fire and was burned in the process. The store owner grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire after 40 seconds, Rivera said.

Villanueva drove away in a BMW. Cops later tracked down the vehicle using license plate readers and arrested him at a gas station in Redlands, some 100 miles north of Chula Vista.

While Villanueva and Buchanan were previously in a relationship, the motive for setting her on fire has not been publicly divulged.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Buchanan’s friend described her horrific injuries.

“She was wrapped like a mummy,” explained Alma Ogden, according to a courtroom report from NBC affiliate KNSD. “She had no face and no ears. Her hair was gone. The only thing I could see was her toes.”

The preliminary hearing is set to continue on Dec. 17. Villanueva remains in the San Diego County Jail without bond.