Driver accused in crash that killed Parlier teen denied bail. DA cites ‘huffing’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Defendant pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, assault, DUI and related counts.
- Police cite intoxication signs and found compressed-air canister in her trunk.
- Judge denied bail due to violent criminal history; potential 26-year sentence.
New details and charges were revealed Friday during the arraignment the 35-year-old woman who allegedly struck and killed a 15-year-old teen in Parlier on March 10.
The teen victim, Juliani Moreno, and a friend were walking in the intersection of Mendocino and Parlier avenues at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday when a car driven by Tiffany Mercado, traveling at between 80 mph and 100 mph, ran a stop sign and fatally struck Moreno, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Ueltzen.
After hitting the teenager, Mercado’s Toyota Camry continued careening down the street, jumping over curbs and front yards before crashing into a utility pole.
In court on Friday, a somber-looking Mercado pleaded not guilty to charges including one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, and one count of driving without a license.
Additionally, Mercado was charged with driving under the influence causing injury while under the influence of a drug. During the investigation, Parlier police discovered a half-filled canister of compressed air in the trunk of her vehicle.
Parlier police said that immediately after the crash Mercado was seen removing something from her car and tossing it in the trunk.
Ueltzen said in court that air dusting canisters can be used by people who “huff” or breathe in the toxic inhalants to get high.
Although Mercado admitted to Parlier police that she has previously used the air duster cans to get high, she denied using them the night of the collision, Ueltzen said.
But a drug recognition evaluation by Parlier police determined Mercado was showing signs of intoxication, including poor coordination and dilated pupils, Ueltzen said.
Although Mercado’s public defender Robert Yamamoto asked the court that she be allowed the opportunity for bail, Judge Ryan Wells denied the request, citing Mercado’s “extensive violent criminal history going back to 2011.”
Mercado has a previous strike conviction out of San Bernadino County in 2014 along with six additional prior felony convictions.
She was sentenced to six years in state prison in April 2024 and was released on Jan. 2, 2026.
Mercado was still on Post Release Community Supervision, a county run system of parole, when the crash happened.
If convicted of all charges and allegations, Mercado faces up to 26 years in prison.
Several members of Moreno’s family attended Friday’s arraignment but declined to comment to The Fresno Bee.
Mercado returns to court March 18 for a pre-preliminary hearing.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 1:21 PM.
