A Napa County judge yesterday refused to release the woman charged in a crash that killed her two children, keeping her in jail as the case moves toward trial. The ruling came after a hearing on the defense’s bid to cut her bail or allow her out under supervised conditions. Authorities say the collision happened in March 2025 and that she has been in custody since the wreck.
Judge Keeps Defendant Behind Bars
Defense attorney Robert Casper asked the court to set bail at no more than $10,000, while prosecutors formally opposed any release or bail reduction in a June 5 filing, according to the Napa Valley Register. At yesterday's hearing, Judge Scott R. L. Young denied the defense motion and ordered that the defendant remain in custody. Prosecutors argued that the totality of the evidence showed she would pose a danger to the community if she were released, the Register reported.
Crash Details And Victims
The collision happened on the morning of March 16, 2025, just before 7:30 AM, on the southbound Highway 29 Imola Avenue off‑ramp. Two children in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Napa County District Attorney’s Office initially charged the driver with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, a felony DUI causing injury and two counts of child abuse, as described in a March 18, 2025 press release from the office. The defendant was hospitalized after the crash and has remained in custody as the case has moved forward.
Prosecutors Say Video Shows Drinking Before Crash
In court papers, prosecutors say surveillance footage shows the defendant drinking at Morimoto Napa at about 11:15 PM on March 15 and allege that she was a daily cannabis user who had used it hours before the crash, according to the Napa Valley Register. The same filing describes autopsy findings that the children, identified as 9‑year‑old Aaliyah Montanez and 10‑year‑old Damian Montanez, suffered severe blunt‑force trauma. Damian’s injuries were described as an internal decapitation, according to the Register. Prosecutors argued that those circumstances weighed heavily against any pretrial release.
Charges, Sentences And Legal Context
Prosecutors later amended the complaint to add two counts of second‑degree murder under the Watson doctrine, according to the Napa County District Attorney’s Office August 2025 newsletter. The California Supreme Court decision in People v. Watson allows second‑degree murder charges in some DUI death cases when a driver’s conduct shows implied malice or a conscious disregard for human life. A second‑degree murder conviction can carry a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Gross vehicular manslaughter under California Penal Code section 191.5 is punishable by 4, 6 or 10 years. A felony DUI causing injury under Vehicle Code section 23153 carries a potential term of 16 months, 2 years or 3 years. Felony child abuse under Penal Code section 273d is punishable by 2, 4 or 6 years. The district attorney’s office has said that the combination of surveillance footage, toxicology results and autopsy findings shapes its view of the appropriate charges.
The case remains pending in Napa County Superior Court, and the defendant remains in custody as prosecutors prepare for trial.
