The young woman was running for her life.

The 21-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student just had watched as her boyfriend, Tyler J. Binsted, had been shot after two robbers confronted the pair as they were walking in Byrd Park shortly after midnight.

In the frantic moments that followed, the woman ran to the first car she saw -- a car she would later discover that authorities say was being driven by the getaway driver for the two people who just had attacked them.

Those chilling details emerged in a Richmond courtroom yesterday during the arraignments for two women arrested Thursday in connection with the March 27 slaying of Binsted.

Zsabriela Evelyn Williams, 19, of the 5200 block of Wingfield Street and LaPrecious Nicole Austin, 19, of the 2700 block of Nine Mile Road, were ordered held without bond for their alleged roles in the attacks that led to the death of Binsted, a 19-year-old VCU sophomore.

Binsted's girlfriend, who has asked not to be identified, was not called to testify yesterday when Williams and Austin made separate, brief appearances before General District Judge Phillip L. Hairston.

. . .

But Supervising Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Elizabeth A. Hobbs laid out the scenario of how the alleged chance encounter between Binsted's girlfriend and Austin could have turned one shooting death into a double homicide.

"This was a senseless crime," Hobbs said.

Binsted and his girlfriend were walking near Byrd Park's tennis courts when two people accosted them, robbed them at gunpoint, and ordered them into the trunk of the girlfriend's car.

Binsted refused and shut the trunk. He and his girlfriend started walking away and then ran, with Binsted positioning himself between her and the two attackers.

Binsted was shot in the back and died. His girlfriend, who later said she believed Binsted saved her life with his actions, raced from the park, looking for someone -- anyone -- to help her get away from her attackers.

Hobbs said that it was at this point that Austin, who earlier allegedly had dropped off Williams and Howard Reed Scott III, was driving back to the park to retrieve them. That's when the girlfriend, seeing no other cars in the area, ran up to Austin.

"The victim unwittingly got into this defendant's car," Hobbs said, "and was driven away."

The girlfriend frantically begged Austin to drive her to get help, Hobbs said. But Austin, apparently conflicted by her alleged duties to be the getaway driver for Williams and Scott, repeatedly told Austin she could not help her, the prosecutor said.

After Austin drove her a short distance, the girlfriend got out of the vehicle to seek help elsewhere, and Austin drove away, Hobbs said.

The girlfriend, who did not learn until Thursday that the car she had jumped into was the alleged getaway vehicle, declined to comment yesterday.

. . .

Scott, 17, of Silver Avenue in South Richmond, was arrested within hours of the crime and charged with murder and two counts each of robbery and using a firearm in a felony. He is in custody awaiting trial.

The short, slightly built Williams, charged with conspiracy to commit murder, was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and orange slippers yesterday for her arraignment. When Williams told Hairston she could not afford a lawyer, the judge appointed James L. McLemore to represent her.

Minutes later, the tall, heavyset Austin was led into court wearing black slacks, a red shirt and black baseball cap. Charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, Austin was represented by Wayne R. Morgan, who asked Hairston to set a reasonable bond, citing, among other factors, her family ties to the Church Hill area of Richmond.

But after Hobbs detailed Austin's criminal record, Hairston declined to offer Austin bond.

Austin, who had been standing with her hands at her side, raised them above her head, yanked off her baseball cap and moaned.

"No, man, no," she protested. "I want another lawyer -- for real."

Two deputies restrained her, and Hairston warned her she was at risk of being cited for contempt.

The judge set June 19 for preliminary hearings for Williams and Austin.

Richmond Circuit Court records show Williams was convicted last year of possession of cocaine and sentenced to five years in prison, but four years and 10 months of that sentence was suspended.

She also pleaded guilty to robbery in 2004 for a 2003 incident in Richmond, when she was 14, according to online records; her sentence for that charge could not be determined. A charge of use of a firearm in a felony in connection with the 2003 incident was not prosecuted.

Austin was found guilty in Richmond in 2006 of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute it, according to court records. She was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and three months suspended.

Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or jmacenka@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writers Bill McKelway and Jim Nolan contributed to this report.