Arisleida Lopez testified on Wednesday that one of the ground rules for her late daughter Jashira Pagan while living at Lopez’s Norwich home was “no men in my house.”

So when she heard yelling and a man’s voice coming from her daughter’s bedroom on the morning of Nov. 5, 2022, Lopez said she immediately entered her daughter’s bedroom to confront a shirtless Atlantikh Balidemaj and told him to leave. Lopez said she even handed the man his sweatshirt and glasses and helped him find the front door when he struggled to find his way out.

Lopez testified in New London Superior Court, several times fighting back tears to answer questions, on the second and final day of a probable cause hearing for Balidemaj, who is charged with murder in the shooting death of the 30-year-old Pagan.

Judge Arthur C. Haddan is expected to rule by Monday about whether the state produced enough evidence to continue its prosecution.

Police allege the shooting occurred outside Lopez’s Uncas Condominium home on Route 32, just minutes after Lopez ushered Balidemaj outside her three-story condo.

Pagan, still in a nightgown, had followed Balidemaj outside to go after her dog, XO, who had slipped out when Balidemaj left, Arisleida testified.

Balidemaj would later be found walking along Route 32, where he was detained and eventually charged in Pagan’s death. Pagan was shot in the face and remained on life support with no brain activity for two days after the shooting.

Lopez, a nurse, said had been getting ready for work after letting Balidemaj outside. The next thing she remembers was a knock at the door. She testified that she opened the door to “see police and my daughter laying on the ground.”

Lopez is expected to be a key witness in the prosecution’s case against Balidemaj. She is the last one to see her daughter alive and the one person who can place Balidemaj with her daughter immediately prior to the shooting.

Lopez had seen Balidemaj the night before the shooting at Modelo Bar & Grill, also known as Bella Fiore, which is walking distance from her home and owned by Balidemaj’s father. After a dinner out, Lopez said she and her daughter had gone out for a drink at Bella Fiore. Pagan, Lopez said, had commented on how she thought Balidemaj was cute.

“I told her to stay away ... not get involved,” Lopez testified under questioning from Assistant State’s Attorney Marissa Goldberg.

Lopez had driven home and left her daughter to walk the short distance home later that night.

The alleged motive for the shooting is unclear, though a neighbor heard people yelling prior to a gunshot. Balidemaj admitted going home with Pagan after drinks at the bar but denies he shot her.

Under cross examination from defense attorney William T. Koch Jr., Lopez confirmed that she had no reason to fear for her daughter’s safety in Balidemaj’s presence and never saw a gun.

Police never recovered the gun used in the shooting but said some of Balidemaj’s clothing tested positive for gunshot residue.

Pagan was a Fitch High School graduate who was working at a Mohegan Sun Casino restaurant at the time of her death. Lopez described her daughter as “very, very kind” and “very funny,” and the kind of person who liked to clown around.

On the night before the shooting, Lopez said she and Pagan had talked about an upcoming vacation together to the Dominican Republic.

Balidemaj remains held on a $5 million bond, charged with murder, carrying a pistol without a permit and illegal discharge of a firearm.

g.smith@theday.com