How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A man who is alleged to have shot and killed an Upper Lake woman earlier this week is facing numerous felony charges, including one that could make his prosecution a capital murder case.
Daniel Ray Loyd, 50, of Nice, was arraigned on Thursday for the murder of 48-year-old Cindy Yvette Quiett, who died after being shot in the stomach early on Tuesday, Sept. 13, as Lake County News has reported.
A memorial page for Quiett has been set up at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Memorial-Page-for-Cindy-Yvette-Arevalo-Drinnon-Quiette/257600590946958.
Loyd's defense attorney, Doug Rhoades, said Thursday that discovery and reports in the case were not available and so Loyd did not enter a plea at his arraignment.
Loyd is set to return to court on Monday, Sept. 26, at which time Rhoades anticipated a plea will be entered.
On Friday Deputy District Attorney John DeChaine, who is prosecuting the case, said Loyd is facing numerous felony charges.
He is charged with murder, a special allegation of using a gun, and a second special allegation alleging that Quiett's homicide occurred during the commission of a robbery, DeChaine said.
Under the California Penal Code, that special allegation of homicide during a robbery can result in life without the possibility of parole. It is also one of approximately 22 required conditions that can merit the death penalty upon conviction.
Some of the other conditions for capital murder include drive-by shootings, torture, gang affiliation, lying in wait, and killing of a law enforcement officer, political leader, judge or witness, according to the Penal Code.
DeChaine said he couldn't speculate on when a decision would be made about whether or not to seek the death penalty in Loyd's case.
“No decision would be made this early in the investigation,” DeChaine said.
In April, District Attorney Don Anderson and his staff decided not to pursue the death penalty for Robby Beasley and Elijah McKay, accused of the January 2010 double murder of former Maine residents Frank and Yvette Maddox, as Lake County News has reported.
The other counts Loyd is facing in the Quiett homicide case include robbery and a special allegation of use of a firearm; assault with a firearm, with a special allegation of personally using a firearm; allegations of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a felon carrying a loaded firearm in public; being a felon in possession of ammunition; a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a firearm; and special allegations that Loyd had two prior state prison terms, which attach to all of the main counts in the case, DeChaine said.
Lakeport resident Angel Dusty Spring, 35, was arrested at the same time as Loyd on Tuesday.
Spring is alleged to have called Quiett and her companion, Lucerne resident Patrick Ryden, to go with her to the casino early Tuesday, and also allegedly was with with Loyd when the shooting occurred, according to the sheriff's report.
Spring was arrested for violation of probation and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Since her Tuesday arrest Spring has been released, according to jail records.
DeChaine said Spring has so far not been charged with any other counts in relation to the shooting.
“The whole matter remains under investigation,” DeChaine said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews.
