People v. Molina CA5

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On September 7, 2018, defendant broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home and physically attacked her, hitting her in the face multiple times and squeezing her throat until she lost consciousness. As he attacked her, she made her way to the street in front of her home, and defendant fled when several of her neighbors came to her aid. Two people in a truck pursued defendant. A few minutes later, defendant returned to the scene in his pick-up truck, and accelerated as it approached where his ex-girlfriend and her neighbors were standing. Defendant’s truck struck a fence, his ex-girlfriend’s truck, and a parked car belonging to a neighbor. Defendant’s ex-girlfriend and two of her neighbors were struck by either defendant’s truck or one of the other vehicles that defendant’s truck struck. Defendant was apprehended by responding sheriff’s deputies. He admitted strangling and hitting his ex-girlfriend, and admitted striking a vehicle in front of her home, but stated he crashed into it because he was attempting to flee the other vehicle that was pursuing him. The crash resulted in one neighbor having a fractured wrist requiring surgery, physical therapy, and causing…