After years of investigation and the tragic loss of a Tigard mother of five, the long arc of justice is finally bending toward a resolution. According to KPTV, a woman has been arrested in connection with the 2023 hit-and-run that resulted in Maria Negrete's death. The Tigard Police Department made the announcement early this week, detailing the culmination of a case that has gripped the community for over two years.
On the night of September 18, 2023, Negrete, a 45-year-old single mother, was critically injured after being struck by a car while attempting to retrieve a dropped cell phone on Southwest Hall Boulevard with her boyfriend. Despite extensive investigatory efforts, the identity of the driver and the vehicle involved remained elusive for months after the perpetrator fled the scene. A breakthrough in the case did not arrive until October 2024, when a tip led to the discovery of the damaged car involved, KPTV reports.
Further developments came in April 2025 when another informant corroborated existing evidence regarding the identity of the driver. According to a press release from Tigard Police, "In the weeks and months that followed, investigators continued to follow up on leads, but key pieces of information remained missing" until this point, which challenged investigators as they painstakingly pieced together the events of that September evening. With the critical new information at hand, detectives, joined by forensic experts at the Oregon State Crime Lab and the District Attorney's office, were able to move forward in holding the accountable party accountable, as mentioned by KGW.
Indicted by a grand jury on December 30, 2025, Ashley Wolff, 37, of Tigard, was arrested the following day under charges of failing to perform the duties of a driver to an injured person. "I am thankful for the people who came forward with critical information in this case," Detective Kaci Mace, who led the investigation, expressed. "Without their help and the determination of our partners at the crime lab and the District Attorney's office, we may not have been able to provide answers for Ms. Negrete's family," Mace told KPTV. As per KGW, the date for Wolff's initial court appearance has not yet been set.
Maria Negrete is remembered by her close friend Lucina Cardoza as funny, book-smart, a loving mother, and a constant companion, a sentiment echoed by many who knew her and continued to seek justice in her wake. With the arrest made, authorities hope to see due process for Negrete and her family, and some measure of closure for the community that felt her loss so profoundly.
