Bay Area Briefs

But the court may first take time to resolve recently discovered evidence that defense attorneys say is "potentially exculpatory."

The judge last week declared a two-day halt to the case so defense attorneys could investigate the evidence, which defense attorney Mark Geragos said could point suspicion away from his client.

Judge Alfred A. Delucchi granted the defense request for a delay after emerging from a closed-door meeting with attorneys on Thursday.

Geragos said last week that preliminary test results on the evidence could be available Tuesday, the same day Frey was set to take the witness stand.

Prosecutors have sought to show the affair, and hopes for financial gain, were Peterson's motives to murder his pregnant wife, Laci.

Menlo Park stabbing remains a mystery

Police are releasing little information about a domestic violence stabbing that left a Menlo Park man dead and hospitalized his wife.

"It's still under investigation as to what exactly occurred,'' said Menlo Park police Sgt. Matt Bacon Monday.

About 6:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a stabbing call at a residence on Hamilton Avenue.

Officers found Jose Arita, 21, dead from the stab wounds. His wife, Blanca Rivas, 23, was hospitalized with stab injuries and is in serious condition, according to Bacon.

Rivas is expected to survive, but is unable at this time to speak to police about the stabbing, Bacon said.

Police determined that the couple injured one another. "There was no one else involved,'' Bacon said. Witnesses reported that the husband and wife, who moved to the home recently, had been fighting.

At this point police are unaware of any domestic violence history between the two, Bacon said.

Mount Hamilton fire grows

A brush fire in east San Jose has grown to approximately 1,200 acres and might not be contained until Thursday evening, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman said last night.

The fire, which was first reported around 2 p.m. Sunday in the area of Mount Hamilton and Kincaid roads, could be contained at 8 p.m. Thursday, Capt. Tom Walker said Monday. That's a revision from the CDF's previous estimate of Tuesday at 10 p.m. Fire lines around the flames are holding, Walker said, and no injuries have been reported.

CDF officials have described the area where the fire is burning as remote with steep terrain, where shifting winds have made containment difficult.