A California woman facing a manslaughter charge as the result of a fatal traffic collision has waived her preliminary hearing and her arraignment has been scheduled.
A formal count of first degree manslaughter was filed on March 22 in Lincoln County District against Ariel Navarro, 32, of Banning, Calif. A $50,000 bench warrant was issued for her arrest.
She made her initial appearance along with her attorney before Judge Mueller on April 11. At that time, she entered an innocent plea.
Judge Mueller set a bond hearing for Navarro at 1:30 p.m. on May 2. On that date, her bond was reduced from $50,000 to $30,000, court records show.
Navarro was reportedly driving a vehicle involved in a fatal traffic collision near Stroud in Lincoln County.
The information charges that on July 29, 2023 in Lincoln County Navarro was driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicating substance, misdemeanor. It alleges she was driving a 1999 Honda Accord on a public road while having an amount of marijuana, a Controlled Dangerous Substance, in her blood and as the result she injured her passenger, Brian Burke, causing his death on July 29, 2023.