Mother of hit and run victim reacts to accused killer’s actions

Almost one year after Zia Hoyos’s death, police finally arrested two suspects, but that means nothing to Zia’s mom, Senta Flores.

“I’m just outraged at our judicial system,” Flores said.

Thirty-year-old Heather Marie Brents and her father, 69-year old Russell Ted Stienecker, both of Desert Hot Springs, turned themselves in then posted $5000 bail.

“It’s like you can go do a hit and run. ‘I’ll get out on $5000 bail. If I don’t like somebody I can run you over and get out.’ It sounds like money talks,” Flores said.

Police arrest records reveal Brents admitted she “drank herself to blackout” the night she hit Zia. She claims she stopped and looked around, thinking she hit something, but didn’t see anything in the dark. She then drove away.

“She just left my daughter there like a dead animal, and just left. She thought she hit ‘something’. I’m sure she knew what she did,” Flores said.

Later, her father allegedly helped cover it up.

Flores found out from Twitter Brents has a child.

“How would she feel if someone did that to her child?” Flores said.

Brents and Stienecker will be back in court on June 6th.

“Come out, be supportive to my family, friends all of Zia’s friends, please come out and support us,” Flores said.

Brents pleaded guilty in May 2009 to one count of misdemeanor embezzlement and she got sentenced to three years probation, which ended May 17, 2012 – just four days before she allegedly hit Zia. Stienecker does not have a criminal record.