Tarzana- Prosecutors decided today not to charge one of the two suspects in the burning of an exotic dancer at a Tarzana bar, citing insufficient evidence.
They dropped the charges against 22-year-old Nathaniel Petrillo, “because there was insufficient evidence to prove he participated in the attack” according to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
But they did charge Rianne Celine Theriault-Odom, 27, of Tarzana with attempted murder, mayhem and torture for allegedly dousing the 27-year-old dancer with an accelerant and setting her on fire. She is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Van Nuys Superior Court.
Investigators say Theriault-Odom had an argument with the victim, Roberta Abdue Dos Santos, 27, outside the Babes N’ Beer Sports Bar around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, then doused her with an accelerant from a soda bottle and set her on fire. Busby suffered burns on 40 percent of her body and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Police initially identified both Theriault-Odom and Petrillo as suspects in the case and arrested the two Monday at a motel on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.
If convicted, Theriault-Odom potentially faces life in prison.