By Khalida Sarwari
A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled today there is sufficient evidence to try a Palo Alto hookah bar owner for murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend, despite his attorney’s claims there’s nothing linking him to the crime.
Bulos “Paul” Zumot, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder and arson charges stemming from the death of 29-year-old Jennifer Schipsi on Oct. 15, 2009.
Investigators determined that Schipsi, a real estate agent, had been killed prior to the fire and that the blaze was set intentionally to conceal evidence.
Prosecutors allege that Zumot killed Schipsi and then set their Addison Avenue home on fire with her body inside. The pair had a history of domestic abuse and reportedly got in a fight the night before Schipsi’s death.
Zumot was arrested four days later at Da Hookah Spot, a smoking lounge he owns on University Avenue.
Police claim a trained dog detected accelerant in the house and on Zumot’s clothes.
Zumot’s attorney, however, said a lab testing of Zumot’s clothes did not reveal significant traces of fuel. The attorney, Mark Geragos, said prosecutors did not have a case against his client.
“There’s absolutely nothing that links him to (the death)… it’s mind-boggling to me,” Geragos said, addressing Judge David Cena.
Still, Cena decided to hold Zumot over for trial and ordered him to return to court for an arraignment on July 26.
Outside the courthouse, a member of Zumot’s family who declined to give her name said, “The truth will come out in the end, and it’s going to be on our side.”
Dee Towner, Schipsi’s aunt, has been regularly attending the hearings and brushed away tears as she walked out of the courtroom.
“We’re all very relieved that we’re done with the preliminary hearing, and we have an enormous amount of faith in the prosecutor,” Towner said. “We believe that he’ll be seeing this through to the end and the outcome will be guilty.”
Seven officers with the Palo Alto Police Department testified today and Monday during the 1.5-day preliminary hearing.
One witness discussed detecting gas in Schipsi’s hair and bed, while another said autopsy results showed she had been strangled prior to the fire.
The relationship between Zumot and Schipsi was also described in testimonies. Detective James Reifschneider said their relationship was “like a roller coaster,” although it had improved in the months before Schipsi’s death.
Zumot and Schipsi had an “on again, off again” relationship but had moved in together shortly before the fire, according to police. Court records show that Schipsi requested an emergency restraining order against Zumot in August after he allegedly threatened her.
The night before the fire, Schipsi and Zumot appeared to have gotten into an altercation following a birthday celebration for Zumot at Dishdash Restaurant in Sunnyvale, according to police Capt. Scott Savage.
Schipsi alluded to an argument or fight on Oct. 14 in text messages she sent to a mutual male friend. She said Zumot was jealous and threw her phone at her. Later that night, she left early and walked home alone.
Geragos, however, tried to downplay the argument.
“The fact is in this case all you have is, at best, a small disagreement where she walks home,” he said. “They tried to persuade you that there was a phone throw, but there wasn’t anything like that.”
Zumot was again denied bail today and will remain in custody. He faces a maximum sentence of 33 years to life if convicted.