A California woman has pleaded innocent to a manslaughter charge as the result of a fatal traffic collision.
A formal count of first degree manslaughter was filed on March 22 this year in Lincoln County District against Ariel Navarro, 32, of Banning, Calif. A $50,000 bench warrant was issued for her arrest.
Court records show the warrant was returned and filed on April 1.
She earlier waived her preliminary hearing.
Appearing before District Judge John Canavan recently for her arraignment she, pleaded innocent. The judge has scheduled her for the felony disposition docket at 9 a.m. on Dec. 17. had set her pre-preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 15. On that date, Navarro waived her preliminary hearing and her arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 15.
She made her initial appearance along with her attorney before Special Judge Emily Mueller on April 11.
Judge Mueller set a bond hearing for Navarro at 1:30 p.m.onMay2.Onthatdate, 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.
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.