People v. Matta CA3

I. BACKGROUND

At about 4:20 p.m. on January 30, 2013, Angelita Pulido was driving her car on Interstate 5 in Sacramento. Her sister, Elizabeth Vasquez, and Vasquez’s son were in the car with Pulido. Defendant, driving her van with her 15-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friend as passengers, entered the highway and almost hit Pulido, who swerved to avoid a collision. Pulido became enraged as did Vasquez. Pulido followed defendant’s van when she exited the highway. At a red light, Pulido got out of her car and yelled “my nephew’s in the car, bitch.” Defendant got out of her van and approached Pulido. Pulido grabbed defendant by the hair and the two began to fight. Defendant pulled out a knife and stabbed Pulido. Meanwhile, Vasquez and defendant’s daughter had both gotten out of their respective vehicles and started to physically fight. After defendant stabbed Pulido, defendant yelled, “Get off my daughter, bitch,” ran over to Vasquez, and stabbed her in the back and front. Vasquez suffered four stab wounds and a collapsed lung. Count four charged defendant with assaulting Vasquez by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. (§ 245, subd. (a)(4).) Count five charged…