Dallas Raines’ wife charged with beating, trying to strangle daughter during car ride
The wife of KABC-TV chief meteorologist Dallas Raines has been charged with assaulting their 25-year-old daughter during a drive home from a country club, authorities said.
Danielle “Dannie” Raines, 58, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a Pasadena courtroom to the felony charge of assault likely to produce great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Raines and her defense attorney could not be reached for comment.
The case relates to an Aug. 31 incident that began at a country club in La Cañada.
Prosecutors allege Raines had been drinking wine with her daughter at the country club and “became belligerent,” striking and pushing her daughter. The daughter, whose identity was not released, had been preparing to drive her mother home.
During the ride home, Raines allegedly assaulted the daughter, who stopped the car on the side of the road, prosecutors said.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Jodi Taksar alleged in a statement that Raines beat the victim once parked on the side of the road and attempted to strangle her daughter.
Sherriff’s deputies arrested Raines about 4:40 a.m. on Aug. 31, according to jail records. After posting $30,000 bond, Raines was released from custody about 2:30 p.m. that day, jail records show.
If convicted, Raines faces up to four years in state prison.
Raines, a writer, is active in local philanthropy and recently served on the organizing committee for the Community Scholarship Foundation of La Cañada Flintridge.
Raines and her husband — the tanned, kinetic meteorologist for “Eyewitness News” broadcasts — live in Pasadena.
The couple’s profile took a public and dramatic turn in the early 1990s, when they were victims of a stalking plot by a former LAPD officer.
Martha Cane wrote repeated love letters to Dallas Raines, professed her desire to have his baby, called Danielle Raines an evil woman and vowed to break up their relationship.
Cane was convicted in 1993 of the misdemeanor stalking charge.
“Unfortunately with anyone on TV, that’s what we have to put up with,” Raines told The Times then. “It’s just part of being in the public eye.”
“But this lady is an ex-LAPD officer. Obviously she’s been trained in weapons fire, and that’s frightening. She threatened my wife. We became very concerned with that.”
Twitter: @MattHjourno.
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