A murder charge was thrown out Thursday against a 21-year-old man who allegedly ran over and killed a pregnant Riverside teenager as she and family members confronted him over his relationship with her sister, though he will still stand trial for other felony allegations.
Isaac Jacob Blackhorse Garcia of Moreno Valley was arrested in February after allegedly killing 16-year-old Kaylie Corona on the east end of Riverside.
He had been charged with murder, but at the end of a preliminary hearing Thursday, a temporarily assigned Riverside County Superior Court judge, whose name couldn’t immediately be confirmed, determined the murder count was invalid and dismissed it. The judge, however, found there was sufficient evidence to bound Garcia over for trial on two counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor and possession of child pornography.
A post-preliminary hearing arraignment is set for Dec. 1.
Court minutes late Thursday afternoon did not provide specific details pointing to the basis for the judge’s ruling, and there was no immediate word from the District Attorney’s Office whether prosecutors intend to re-file a criminal complaint charging Garcia with something other than homicide for the pregnant girl’s death.
For the time being, the defendant remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
A bail-setting affidavit filed by the Riverside Police Department in early February recounted what allegedly happened outside the victim’s house at 1570 Gregg Place, near Chicago Avenue, on the night of Feb. 2.
Detective Stanley Hua wrote that Garcia returned his then-girlfriend, identified in court records only as 15-year-old “V.C.,” to the house after engaging in sex with her for an unspecified period.
The girl’s entire family, including her father and older brother, as well as Kaylie, almost nine months pregnant, were waiting for him and exited the home with the possible intent of physically assaulting him, according to the narrative.
“Isaac backed out of the driveway at a high rate of speed, almost losing control of his car,” Hua said. “The family continued coming out, and Isaac started driving away, when V.C.’s 20-year-old brother attempted to open Isaac’s door. Isaac then accelerated away and drove around V.C. and struck Kaylie with his vehicle.”
The detective alleged the defendant dragged “Kaylie across the ground approximately 161 feet before fully running over her.”
He then fled home to Moreno Valley.
Kaylie was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where her daughter, Elena, was delivered via C-section before the victim was pronounced dead in surgery, according to family and police. The baby survived, but the extent of injuries to the infant was not disclosed.
Garcia was immediately identified as the alleged assailant and was taken into custody by Riverside police officers less than two hours later. He was allegedly in possession of child porn.
He has no documented prior felony convictions.
“Our girl was more than just a teenager — she was a radiant light in our lives,” according to a GoFundMe account established by the Corona family. “She was a caring, loving and joyful soul whose presence touched everyone she met.”
The GoFundMe page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/aid-for-kaylies-funeral-and-baby-elenas-health.
It had raised $14,385 by the end of April and remains active.