Inset: Juliani "Gio" Moreno (GoFundMe). Background: Vehicle that hit and killed Moreno in Parlier, California (KSEE).
A 35-year-old California woman is accused of plowing into a 15-year-old boy who was crossing the street hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, killing him before the driver crashed into a flower shop.
Tiffany Mercado, 35, stands accused of vehicular manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving causing injury in the death of Juliani "Gio" Moreno, court records say. Mercado also is reportedly facing DUI-related charges.
The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Mendocino and Parlier Avenues in Parlier, which is in the Fresno area. Gio's girlfriend, Mercedes Solano, said in an interview with local NBC affiliate KSEE that the two were crossing the crosswalk on the way to the store.
"I was holding his hand. We were walking shoulder to shoulder here, and it all went by so quick. It was like an explosion," Solano told the TV station during an interview from the scene.
She said all of the sudden he was "completely gone."
"And then I was looking around, and that's when I saw him on the floor over there," she said, pointing to a nearby field.
Officers rushed to the scene, but Gio was already dead. Solano suffered an injury to her leg from flying debris but was otherwise OK.
After hitting Gio, cops say Mercado went off the road and slammed into a nearby flower shop. She was later arrested.
The victim was a freshman and football player at Immanuel High School, according to a GoFundMe. His girlfriend said he was looking forward to participating in the football team's 7-on-7 drills this summer.
"All his fun things he wanted to do in summer," she told KSEE. "He was going to come with me to Montana for the summertime."
Solano said she was the one who could have been hit, but the two switched sides moments before crossing the street.
The owner of the flower shop said the business is typically open at the time of the crash, but they decided to close up early.
"We're basically lucky to be alive," owner Hermina Lopez said an interview with KSEE. "We do close at six. For no reason, we decided to close a little bit early yesterday. So a few minutes made the difference."
Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran said in a Facebook post that her community is standing with the boy's family following the tragedy.
"This is a loss that no family should ever have to endure," she wrote. "City officials are taking this matter very seriously and are working swiftly to understand the full circumstances surrounding this incident. We are committed to a thorough review and to ensuring that accountability and justice are pursued appropriately."
Mercado remains in the Fresno County Jail without bond. Her next court date is set for March 25.
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