A 35-year-old woman faces vehicular manslaughter charges after striking and killing 15-year-old Juliani 'Gio' Moreno while he crossed the street with his girlfriend in Parlier, California. The driver then crashed into a nearby flower shop. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident happened around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the intersection of Mendocino and Parlier Avenues in Parlier, in the Fresno area. Juliani 'Gio' Moreno, a 15-year-old freshman and football player at Immanuel High School, was walking hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, Mercedes Solano, across the crosswalk on their way to a store, according to Solano's interview with KSEE. 'I was holding his hand. We were walking shoulder to shoulder here, and it all went by so quick. It was like an explosion,' she said. Solano added that Moreno was suddenly 'completely gone,' and she spotted him in a nearby field. She suffered a leg injury from flying debris but was otherwise unharmed. The couple had switched sides moments before crossing, she noted. Tiffany Mercado, 35, is accused of vehicular manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving causing injury, and DUI-related charges, per court records. After striking Moreno, her vehicle veered off the road and collided with a flower shop. The shop owner, Hermina Lopez, credited closing early for avoiding worse harm: 'We're basically lucky to be alive. We do close at six. For no reason, we decided to close a little bit early yesterday. So a few minutes made the difference.' Moreno had been excited for his football team's summer 7-on-7 drills and a trip to Montana with Solano. Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran posted on Facebook that the community stands with the family: 'This is a loss that no family should ever have to endure. City officials are taking this matter very seriously.' Mercado remains in Fresno County Jail without bond, with her next court date on March 25.
