Prosecutors Friday were considering options in the case of a 21-year-old man who allegedly ran over and killed a pregnant Riverside teenager, after a judge tossed a murder charge that had been filed against him.
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 afternoon, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dwight Moore ruled there was “insufficient cause to believe (Garcia) guilty” of perpetrating anything that rose to the level of homicide, prompting him to summarily dismiss the count.
No other explanations were available in the court minutes.
The judge did rule there were sufficient grounds 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 has been set for Dec. 1 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
It was unknown whether the District Attorney’s Office may re-file a criminal complaint charging Garcia with something other than murder for the pregnant girl’s death. The matter is now under review, according to the agency.
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 Carl Street, on the night of Feb. 2.
Detective Stanley Hua wrote 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 her injuries 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, which is still active, 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.