William Rodriguez, the former CEO of Silvercrest Advertising, returned to court for a second day of preliminary hearing proceedings in the case that accuses him of murder in the October 2024 death of 60-year-old Christina Barrington, a Cathedral City scooter rider struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash. Rodriguez, a Palm Springs resident, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include murder, hit-and-run causing death, and driving with a suspended license.
According to NBC Palm Springs, the hearing is taking place at the Indio Larson Justice Center, where a judge must decide whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence to send Rodriguez to trial. The outlet's Alondra Campos reported from inside the courtroom as prosecutors continued laying out their case against the former ad executive.
Barrington was riding a scooter with her small dog near East Palm Canyon Drive and Bankside Drive around 12:46 a.m. on October 11, 2024, when she was hit from behind by a 2021 black Porsche Cayenne, according to MyNewsLA.com. The impact dragged her scooter roughly 1,400 feet before it came to a stop. Barrington later died from her injuries at Desert Regional Medical Center, while her pet terrier survived the crash.
A Year-Long Manhunt Ends With an Oil Trail
Cathedral City police did not track down Rodriguez until October 2025, a full year after the crash. Investigators reviewed area surveillance video and followed a physical trail left by an oil spill from the collision site to locate the suspect vehicle, per NBC Palm Springs. Rodriguez was formally taken into custody in Palm Springs on October 13, 2025, after police obtained a no-bail warrant, and he was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio before posting bond, MyNewsLA reported.
A Cathedral City Police Department affidavit cited by MyNewsLA alleged that before the crash, Rodriguez attended an Eric Clapton concert at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, where he bought a bottle of vodka, then visited two Palm Springs bars where surveillance video showed him stumbling before he drove away at an estimated 65 mph in a 45 mph zone. Court records cited by KESQ also showed that Rodriguez's driver's license had been suspended following a 2013 DUI conviction in Los Angeles County.
Why Prosecutors Are Pursuing a Murder Charge
Prosecutors on the first day of the preliminary hearing in August presented testimony from Cathedral City police officers, video surveillance footage, and scooter debris to connect Rodriguez to the fatal collision, according to the station's earlier report. That evidence underpins the state's attempt to prove second-degree implied malice murder — a charge that stems from California's landmark 1981 *People v. Watson* doctrine and carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in state prison, according to the Daily Journal. Under that standard, prosecutors must show Rodriguez knowingly engaged in dangerous behavior with a conscious disregard for human life, a higher bar than standard vehicular negligence.
The case took nearly two years to reach this stage. Court proceedings were delayed multiple times in early 2026, including postponements in March and May, after defense attorneys said in court they were still waiting to receive key evidence, including the victim's medical records and autopsy report, the station's report noted.
Civic Fallout and a New Lawsuit Over Street Lighting
The case has already reshaped Rodriguez's standing in the local business community. Following his October 2025 arrest, Greater Palm Springs Pride suspended its promotional relationship with Silvercrest Advertising, where the firm had served as a primary sponsor for local community events; the organization said the charges were a personal legal matter separate from its own operations, per the same account from KESQ.
Earlier in August, Barrington's daughter, Christina Lewis, filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming Cathedral City, Rodriguez, and Silvercrest as defendants, alleging that a burned-out street light created an unmaintained, dangerous condition on East Palm Canyon Drive, according to NBC Palm Springs. Cathedral City officials have stated they do not comment on pending litigation, though the station reported that filings indicate the city intends to challenge the lawsuit.
The preliminary hearing at the Indio Larson Justice Center will determine whether the case proceeds to a felony trial on the murder charge, along with the hit-and-run and suspended-license counts. It remains unresolved when the judge will issue a ruling on whether sufficient cause exists to hold Rodriguez for trial.
