A Halloween night in Chico that ended with a car plowing into pedestrians now has its courtroom epilogue. A Fairfield man was sentenced to nine years in state prison yesterday after prosecutors said he drove his vehicle into a group of people walking in downtown Chico following Halloween festivities.
Kaijuan Julian, 21, pleaded no contest to five counts of assault with a vehicle tied to the Nov. 1, 2025 incident. The victims, who were heading back to their car, ranged in age from 17 to 22 and suffered moderate to severe injuries. One woman broke her leg, pelvis and jaw and lost teeth.
Prosecutors' account of the attack
According to the Butte County District Attorney's Office, Julian drove a Tesla into the opposite lane on the 700 block of W. 2nd Avenue, struck the group at high speed, then turned around and accelerated toward them a second time before fleeing. As detailed by the Butte County District Attorney's Office, officers later located Julian a few blocks away and determined he was intoxicated.
Victims, evaluation and courtroom testimony
The five victims were taken to hospitals for treatment and were all between 17 and 22 years old, prosecutors said. The woman with the most serious injuries addressed the court and reportedly described the crash's ongoing physical and financial toll, underscoring how the damage did not end on the street.
Before sentencing, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation completed a diagnostic evaluation that recommended probation. That recommendation and the sentencing details were reported by CBS Sacramento.
Judge rejects probation, trims maximum
Despite the CDCR recommendation, the judge declined to grant probation and instead imposed a nine-year sentence, shaving it down from the possible 11-year maximum while noting Julian's young age.
"Sometimes the circumstances of the offense outweigh the lack of criminal history," Judge Kimberly Merrifield said in court, as reported by CBS Sacramento.
The District Attorney's earlier notices had outlined the charges and the case timeline. The county office said Julian was sent to state prison for diagnostic testing after his plea, which led to the later sentencing hearing and evaluation results as detailed by the Butte County District Attorney's Office.
What happens next
Julian's nine-year term was imposed yesterday. He will be returned to state custody to begin serving his sentence, as ordered by the judge.
The criminal case effectively closes with sentencing, but the fallout continues. Victims may still pursue civil remedies, and the long physical and financial recovery for those hurt in the crash is expected to stretch well beyond Julian's trip to state prison.
