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Inset: Juliani “Gio” Moreno (GoFundMe). Background: Vehicle that hit and killed Moreno in Parlier, California (KSEE).
A tragic incident unfolded in California when a 35-year-old woman allegedly struck and killed a 15-year-old boy as he crossed the street with his girlfriend. The driver then crashed into a nearby flower shop.
Authorities have charged Tiffany Mercado with vehicular manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, and reckless driving causing injury in connection with the death of Juliani “Gio” Moreno. Court documents also reveal she faces additional charges related to driving under the influence.
The event took place around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday near Mendocino and Parlier Avenues in Parlier, a community within the Fresno region. Gio’s girlfriend, Mercedes Solano, recounted to local NBC affiliate KSEE that they were using the crosswalk to head to a store at the time.
“I was holding his hand. We were walking side by side, and then everything happened so fast, like an explosion,” Solano shared in an emotional interview conducted at the scene.
She described the shocking moment when he was suddenly “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.