Mecca man charged with killing woman trying to help burro near MoVal
A 55-year-old motorist who allegedly struck and killed a woman trying to help an injured wild burro just north of Moreno Valley was charged today with second-degree murder.
Martin Joel Ramirez-Hernandez, 55, of Mecca is slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The crash happened on the night of Dec. 15 on Redlands Boulevard, north of Ironwood Avenue, in Moreno Valley.
Deputies arrived and found three vehicles involved in the wreck, a white 2013 Toyota Corolla, a silver 2007 Chevy TrailBlazer, and an overturned silver 2007 Nissan Altima.
Investigators determined that there were two separate crashes. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, investigators learned that the Toyota was traveling southbound on Redlands Boulevard when it struck and killed a donkey crossing the road near the intersection with Juniper Avenue.
The driver of the Toyota moved his vehicle from the roadway and was in the process of calling for assistance when the driver of the Chevy, identified as Jacqueline Morgan, 52, of Moreno Valley, angled her vehicle in front of the donkey in an apparent attempt to prevent a secondary collision.
Morgan exited her vehicle and was standing near the driver’s side door when she was struck by the Nissan, according to the Sheriff's Dept. Upon impact, the Nissan pushed the Chevy into the parked Toyota, then careened across the roadway where it overturned in a nearby drainage ditch.
Deputies found Morgan unresponsive in the roadway. She was transported to the hospital with major injuries and was pronounced dead a few days later.
The driver of the Toyota was uninjured during the traffic collision and remained on-scene to cooperate with the investigation.
The driver of the Nissan, identified as Ramirez-Hernandez, was found trapped inside of the passenger compartment. He was extricated and taken to the hospital with major but non-life-threatening injuries. Additional information led to his arrest on Jan. 5 at the Riverside University Health System Medical Center, according to the Sheriff's Dept.
Ramirez-Hernandez was held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $1 million bail.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Jonathan Glass of the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at 951-486-6727 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 951-776-1099.
Persons who wish to report criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous can call crime stoppers at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463) or 800-47-DRUGS (800-473-7847). You can also leave anonymous information on the Sheriff's Dept. Crime Tips Online Form.
