POLICE ARREST MAN IN WOMAN'S SLAYING : SUSPECT WILL WAIVE EXTRADITION FROM NEW ORLEANS, OFFICIALS SAY.

Byline: Theresa Moreau Daily News Staff Writer

A 41-year-old man arrested in Louisiana on suspicion of slaying a pregnant woman in Panorama City has indicated he won't fight extradition today during a hearing, authorities said.

Alfred Smith was arrested on suspicion of murder at his New Orleans apartment Tuesday by Los Angeles Police Department detectives, said New Orleans police Lt. Marlon Defillo.

This is Smith's second arrest for the same crime, the April 25 slaying of 39-year-old Denna Moody, who was pregnant with her sixth child when found burned to death in Panorama City.

Smith initially was arrested in April, two days after Moody's body was discovered in her 1996 silver Ford Taurus station wagon parked in the 14700 block of Arminta Street, a quarter-mile from her home in Van Nuys.

Smith became the prime suspect and was subsequently arrested because he was the last person to see Moody alive, said Los Angeles police Lt. Richard Blankenship of the Van Nuys Division.

However, Smith was released because police were unable to assemble an entire case because of legal deadlines and prosecutors refused to press charges.

This time, police said they have enough evidence, although Blankenship declined to provide additional details. ``I'm just grateful we're able to put together the additional evidence to get a warrant,'' Blankenship said.

Smith's current girlfriend, 32-year-old Tanya Banks, of New Orleans, said that Smith will waive extradition to Los Angeles.

``He wants to get this over with; there is no reason for him to fight it,'' Banks said in a telephone interview.

Police have said the slaying occurred after Smith traveled from New Orleans to meet with Moody and discuss her pregnancy.

Moody's childhood friend Yolanda Lytle, 37, of Los Angeles, said that Moody and Smith met to discuss the pregnancy. Lytle said Moody claimed Smith was the father.

But Smith's girlfriend contended that he and Moody met only to discuss his visitation rights for a 6-year-old daughter he shared with Moody.

What all seem to agree on is that Smith and Moody had a stormy relationship.

When they re-united recently for one night in February, Moody became pregnant, Lytle said. Moody told her she had telephoned Smith, told him about the baby and ``he was very upset about the pregnancy,'' Lytle said.

``She went to go meet him to talk about the pregnancy, and she was never seen alive again,'' Lytle said.

To the contrary, Banks claimed Moody's unborn baby wasn't Smith's.

``He said that he didn't know anything of a baby,'' she said. ``I personally think he did not do it. We talked about it.''

Banks claimed that Smith told her the conversation between Moody and him ended that night when Moody ``got upset and she drove off . . . and the next thing you know she is missing. I wasn't there, but my gut feeling tells me it didn't happen.''

Smith was being held without bail in Orleans Parish Prison.

Prosecutor Camille Buras, with the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, said in a telephone interview that Smith has indicated to his public defender that he will waive extradition at his court hearing today in Louisiana.