Nearly three years after a deadly late-night confrontation inside a Pasadena apartment complex, the murder case against resident Mark Anthony Levels is still crawling through the courts. A pretrial hearing is set for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Department F of the Pasadena Courthouse, where Levels again faces a judge but still has no trial date.
Levels is charged with murder in the August 8, 2023, shooting of fellow tenant 34-year-old Tynisha Houston. He has been held on $3.1 million bail since his arrest, as the case continues to move through a long string of preliminary and pretrial appearances without reaching a jury.
According to Pasadena Now, Thursday’s hearing is scheduled in Department F at 300 E. Walnut St., overseen by Judge David Garcia. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a felony murder complaint against Levels on August 10, 2023, under case No. GA115036. Pasadena Now reports that Levels has now been held on bail for more than 33 months as the case remains in pretrial.
What police say
Pasadena police said officers were called about 1:10 a.m. on August 8, 2023, to a report of a fight in the 2000 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Houston suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where she later died.
Officers located and detained Levels inside the same apartment complex shortly after the shooting. Detectives then served a search warrant at the scene and recovered a firearm, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Court timeline
The case reached a preliminary hearing on February 27, 2024, followed by additional court appearances on April 14 and July 14, 2025, and January 5, 2026, according to Pasadena Now. Thursday’s pretrial date is the next step on the Pasadena Courthouse calendar in what has become a nearly three year pretrial period.
Legal status
Levels is charged with murder under California Penal Code section 187(a), which defines murder as "the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought." Cal. Penal Code § 187.
The case was originally filed under then District Attorney George Gascón and is now being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Nathan Hochman was sworn in as district attorney on December 3, 2024, according to the Los Angeles County D.A..
How to help
People with information about the case are asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4241 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. MyNewsLA reported that investigators collected evidence at the scene and urged anyone with tips to come forward.
Thursday’s pretrial hearing is expected to be a routine procedural stop in a case that has remained in limbo for nearly three years. We will continue to watch new filings and the courthouse docket for any sign that this long-running matter is finally heading toward trial.
