SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced On Friday, October 16 that 40-year-old Kyle Anthony Griffith of Ventura County, will be sentenced to 15 years to Life in prison for the murder of 35-year-old Nazaria Rivera Garcia of King City.
On November 3, 2019 at around 7:30 p.m., Griffith was driving his vehicle on State Route 198 in the westbound lane, just east of Pine Valley Road. Griffith was accompanied by his fiend 35-year-old Jarrod Folks, who was seated in the front passenger seat. At the same time, 42-year-old Atilano Garcia and his wife 35-year-old Nazaria Garcia of King City were out for a drive on the same road, heading eastbound.
Griffith was 30 yards from Mr. and Mrs. Garcia’s vehicle when he crossed over the double yellow lines into the eastbound lane in an attempt to pass three vehicles in front of him. Griffith’s reckless maneuver caused a head-on collision with Mr. and Mrs. Garcia’s vehicle. The impact of the collision caused Mr. Garcia to lose control and he went off the road onto the south shoulder. Griffith’s own vehicle rolled over and ended up on the north shoulder of the road.
Nazaria Garcia was declared dead at the scene due to major blunt force trauma, while Atilano Garcia survived the collision suffering major blunt force trauma, a mangled arm, numerous lacerations all over his body, and he was struggling to maintain consciousness when officers arrived. Griffith’s passenger Jarrod Folks suffered a dislocated hip and lacerations to his face and arm. Griffith’s own injuries consisted of a broken toe on his left foot, lacerations to his face and arms and a bruised chest.
At 10:38 p.m., Griffith submitted to a blood draw that showed he had been driving with a blood alcohol level of over a 0.14%. In California, a person who drives a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08% or above is presumed to be driving while impaired by alcohol.
In an interview, Griffith told officers that he drank more alcoholic drinks before driving that night than he could remember. Griffith also admitted that in the year and a half preceding the collision, he had driven a few times when he had been intoxicated to the point that he could not remember how he got home. Griffith told officers that he drove that night despite knowing that driving under the influence of alcohol is extremely dangerous to human life.
At the time of the collision, the Defendant was on misdemeanor DUI probation from a 2014 conviction that included a condition to that he abstain from alcohol consumption. Griffith had also suffered a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction in 2012.
Under California Law, an individual who drives while impaired by drugs or alcohol and who kills someone can be charged with murder if that person intentionally drives under the influence while knowing it is dangerous to human life and does so with conscious disregard of that danger.
Griffith will be sentenced to serve 15 years to Life in prison on December 16, 2020 in Department 3 of the Monterey County Superior Court.
This case was investigated by California Highway Patrol Officer James Velasquez.
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