A Fresno driver killed a woman and dragged her body for miles. He won’t be tried
The charge against a Fresno driver who struck and killed an unhoused woman in a fatal hit-and-run has been dropped.
The criminal charge against Shawn Ginder was dismissed by the Fresno County Superior Court after he was found not competent to stand trial on March 18, Fresno County District Attorney spokesperson Taylor Long said in a statement.
”These situations are incredibly difficult for loved ones and for our community, and the outcome can understandably feel like justice was denied,” Long said.
On May 13, 2022, 29-year-old unhoused resident Monique Contreraz was pushing a shopping cart and walking her dog Lucky near the intersection of Herndon and Milburn avenues when she was struck by Ginder’s Chevrolet Silverado truck.
Police said Ginder did not stop until he reached the La Quinta Inn Hotel near Cornelia Avenue and Golden State Boulevard, about eight miles away. Police were called to the area after receiving reports of suspicious behavior, but Ginder had fled when they arrived. He was arrested a day later by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office after deputies found him hiding out in a three-story cabin in Bass Lake.
Ginder suffered serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury, after jumping out of the top floor while trying to escape, the sheriff’s office said.
He was charged with a felony for leaving the scene of a crash in August 2023 and pleaded not guilty on Sept. 18, 2023.
Under California law, when a defendant is determined to be mentally incompetent and it is unlikely their competency will be restored, the court is required to dismiss the case, Long said.
“Our office is bound by the law, and the legal system does not allow us to move forward with prosecution when a defendant is found incompetent and unlikely to regain competency,” she said.
Daniel Bacon, attorney for Ginder, said in an interview Monday afternoon that while it doesn’t mitigate the impact of his client’s actions, Ginder was never charged with causing the crash. Contreraz, he said, was crossing the street in dark clothing at night.
Ginder is never going to regain competence, Bacon said. Serving the sentence for the hit-and-run would be preferable to his current condition.
“There’s no winners here,” he said. “It’s tragedy all around.”
If Ginder’s competency is restored in the future, the case can be refiled, Long said.
Family is ‘heartbroken’
In a statement, the family of Contreraz’s life partner at the time of her death said they were “heartbroken” following the court’s decision.
“The system failed — not just us, but Monique and Lucky, whose lives were stolen. They were not just names. Monique had a laugh that lit up a room. Lucky was a loyal, happy soul. They mattered. They lived. Where is the accountability for their loss? Where is the remorse?
“As a family, we are left to pick up the pieces. We will heal, even as we carry the weight of this tragedy for the rest of our lives,” the Conley family said.
Attempts to reach Contreraz’s biological father and sister via their lawyer were unsuccessful.
Following her tragic death, Contreraz was honored with a candlelight vigil and a mural in Fresno’s Tower District.
‘A lifetime sentence’
In the weeks following the incident, Ginder was in critical condition and on life support, Fresno Police Department spokesperson Bill Dooley told the Bee in late May 2022.
Bacon, Ginder’s lawyer, said he suffered broken bones, vision loss in one eye and a permanent traumatic brain injury when he fell out of his family home in Bass Lake.
The injury was so bad that Ginder was in a coma. “They (his family) almost pulled the plug,” Bacon said.
Today, Ginder needs twenty-four seven care. He speaks haltingly. He gives childlike answers. One of his eyes drifts when you talk to him given his injuries, Bacon said.
“He’s basically confined to a wheelchair,” he said.
To anyone who said justice wasn’t served, Bacon said. “This is a lifetime sentence.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM.
