Fresno woman who caused fatal car crash at Shields and Fresno streets enters plea
Ruby Garcia, the 29-year-old Fresno woman charged with vehicular manslaughter, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court.
Garcia faces six felony charges, including driving under the influence of a drug, evading an officer causing death, gross vehicular manslaughter, and three counts of evading an officer and causing injury.
If found guilty, she could spend up to 21 years and eight months in prison.
Sitting in a nearly empty courtroom, Garcia was arraigned using the court’s new procedure for hearing cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Garcia’s defense attorney Eric Green, prosecutor Steven Ueltzen and Judge Gary Hoff all appeared remotely and the proceeding was live streamed on YouTube.
During her preliminary hearing in March, police testified that Garcia was high on methamphetamine on Feb. 27 when they tried to pull her over. The car she was driving, a 2003 gray Nissan, matched the description of a vehicle used during a Feb. 19 armed robbery.
But Garcia didn’t stop. She accelerated, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph as she traveled south on Fresno Street. At Shields and Fresno streets, she blew through a red light slamming into a Hyundai driven by Stephanie Lucio of Fresno.
Lucio’s car was carrying her uncle, her 6-year-old son and her mother, 55-year-old Debbie Criado, who later died at Community Regional Medical Center.
Lucio also suffered major injuries. She spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from eight fractured ribs, a broken tailbone, a pelvis fracture and a severe gash to the right side of her face that caused nerve damage. She also had to relearn how to walk.
Her uncle suffered a broken clavicle and her son fractured his back. His recovery required him to miss school for months.
Garcia’s trial is tentatively scheduled for July 14.
