Zella Latrice Holmes, 40, of Atwater has entered a not guilty plea in Stanislaus County Superior Court for the Sept. 25 shooting death of her boyfriend.

Holmes was arraigned for the murder of Franklin Martin, 38, of Atwater. He was found shot to death in a room at the Howard Johnson Inn in Ceres on Sept. 25. Holmes, who is being held at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on $2 million bail, has also been charged with child endangerment and felony fleeing a police officer in a vehicle.

Ceres Police detectives arrested Holmes after she admitted shooting her boyfriend to death at the Howard Johnson Inn on Herndon Road in Ceres.

Martin’s body was found by a hotel employee who also reported the presence of a handgun left in the room. 

According to Ceres Police, while detectives were at the motel, Holmes had flagged down fire personnel in the area of Mitchell and Finch roads to report she had been the victim of domestic abuse and believed it had occurred at a Ceres motel. When Ceres Police officers arrived and asked if she had anything to do with the motel shooting, she fled in a vehicle.

Holmes was reportedly driving recklessly so officers terminated their pursuit of the car as out of concern for the safety of her unrestrained child. As Holmes drove back into Ceres she ran the car into a curb on Mitchell Road near Hatch Road. She was able to steer the damaged car into the Food-4-Less parking lot where she was arrested.

Police learned that the vehicle Holmes was driving was registered in the victim’s name and also contained items belonging to him.

During her interrogation, Holmes told detectives she had been in a dating relationship with the victim for approximately 18 years and confessed shooting him. She also claimed she shot him because of alleged domestic violence abuse.

Her child was placed into the custody of Child Protective Services.

Holmes waived her right to a speedy trial and will next appear in court on Dec. 1 for an early case management conference hearing.