Judge denies motion for new trial in apparent street racing crash that killed Bakersfield grandmother

May 5—Traumatic high school experiences often stay buried in the past for adults well past their teenage years. But such formative adolescent memories emerged Friday as core arguments of defendants seeking a new trial after they were found guilty of speeding in southwest Bakersfield and killing a grandmother.

Tony V. Lidgett, the attorney for Israel Maldonado, argued the jury's foreperson bullied Maldonado's wife for about a month while both attended East Bakersfield High School in the mid-2000s and may have prejudiced jurors to rule against his client. David Torres, representing defendant Ronald Pierce Jr., joined Lidgett in his motion.

Kern County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Twisselman II denied a motion seeking a new trial for Pierce and Maldonado, who were found guilty in March in a 2019 southwest Bakersfield collision that left Maria Navarro dead and her two grandchildren injured. The crash sparked frustration and anger over street racing in Bakersfield and increased demands for law enforcement to crack down on the epidemic seemingly taking over local roads.

Lidgett called upon Maldonado's wife, Linda Pedroza, during a hearing Friday in which she testified the jury forewoman — or the person who leads juror deliberations — made fun of her body. Pedroza testified she heard the jury forewoman had threatened to beat her up when they were in high school.

These experiences that lasted a month caused her so much "hell" that Pedroza said she moved to Las Vegas. She returned to Bakersfield later to finish high school after the forewoman had graduated from East High, she added.

Pedroza testified she also saw the forewoman sitting in her car after court proceedings and seemingly laughing at her when walking in the court parking lot. This woman was her mortal enemy in high school, she added.

Chief Trial Deputy Cole McKnight elicited testimony from Pedroza that she didn't see a phone at the forewoman's ear while spotting her in a car laughing, but knows cars have bluetooth systems that allow a person to talk without holding a phone. While in high school, Pedroza also didn't hear threats directly from the forewoman, but heard of them from other students.

Called by McKnight to testify, the jury forewoman, Sauehnteau Jones, said she never bullied anyone in high school and didn't know Pedroza. If she had recognized Pedroza, Jones said, she would have noted that on the questionnaire asking potential jurors about witnesses they know.

Jones said she also doesn't remember seeing Pedroza outside court.

Lidgett noted in his final arguments that Pedroza knew where Jones lived while they attended East, the name of Jones' teenage friend in high school and the nickname Jones went by while going to school.

"We did not find an impartial jury," Lidgett added. If jurors didn't follow Jones' instruction, he added, then perhaps his client would have been acquitted. She may have been prejudiced against Pedroza and didn't take her trial testimony into account, he added.

McKnight argued it's perfectly reasonable Jones may have forgotten an incident lasting for a month which happened 17 years ago. If this juror had forgotten Pedroza, then she couldn't have been biased, McKnight implied in his arguments.

Judge Twisselman denied the motion because Pedroza had an interest in slanting her testimony to help Maldonado, her husband. He also acknowledged Pedroza's recollection of her high school experiences lent her credibility, but also noted Jones didn't remember her.

Sentencing was postponed until June 13.

During the 2019 incident, Pierce reached 130 mph on Old River Road, just before Ming Avenue, while driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.24%. McKnight said he raced Maldonado, which led Pierce to clip Navarro's van so hard that it was flung across a concrete median and broadsided a crane truck.

Pierce was found guilty of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. Maldonado was acquitted of murder, but convicted of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving.

You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.