Bench warrant issued for woman accused in fatal Desert Hot Springs hit-and-run

A bench warrant was in effect today for a 32-year-old woman facing criminal charges for allegedly running over and fatally injuring a bicyclist before speeding away last year in Desert Hot Springs.

Yesenia Bibriesca was allegedly behind the wheel of a Lexus sedan that struck 43-year-old Christopher Jones of Palm Springs last July. She was arrested a few days after the collision and subsequently posted bail.

Earlier this month, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office charged Bibriesca with one felony count of hit-and-run causing death and misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence and destroying/concealing evidence.

Superior Court Judge Anthony Villalobos issued a bench warrant for Bibriesca's arrest on Monday, court records show.

According to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department, police officers responded to the crash scene on Two Bunch Palms Trail near Little Morongo Road at about 5:50 a.m. on July 8, 2020.

Jones was riding in the middle of the roadway when he was fatally struck, according to police. Officers found the victim dead and his totaled bicycle nearby.

Following the crash, police began searching for a maroon Lexus sedan, which they identified as a being connected to the crash through "investigative leads."

The investigation led police to the 16200 block of Avenida Ramada, near Desert Hot Springs, where a maroon Lexus sedan was located. Bibriesca told police she was the owner, according to police, who allege Bibriesca "was determined to be the driver of the Lexus at the time of the collision and the Lexus was the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run traffic collision."

Bibriesca has no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.