RIVERSIDE, CA — An infant remains in critical condition weeks after the child’s pregnant teenage mother was fatally struck by a driver who fled the scene.
The suspect, 19-year-old Isaac Blackhorse Garcia of Moreno Valley, had just been confronted by the teenager and her family when he sped off, striking the pregnant mother, according to the Riverside Police Department. Garcia is accused of having a sexual relationship with the teenager’s younger sister.
Police say that Garcia had just dropped off the younger sister moments before.
The baby was medically delivered just before her mother died of her injuries on Feb. 2.
Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback confirmed with Patch on Thursday that the baby is still alive but in “very critical condition.”
Garcia, who fled the area, was found by Riverside police less than two hours after the incident on Feb. 2 and was arrested. He remains accused of murder and unlawful sex with a minor, the police department said in a previous statement.
Garcia, who is being held without bail, is facing multiple felonies and appeared in court on Feb. 5. His arraignment was continued to April 14, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Kaylie Corona, 16, was identified in court documents and by the family on a GoFundMe page as the mother who died.
“We are deeply heartbroken to share the devastating loss of our precious baby girl. At just 16 years old, she had a bright future filled with promise and excitement,” Rosarie Corona, organizer of the family’s GoFundme wrote on the fundraising page. “She was eagerly looking forward to becoming a mother and meeting her baby. Tragically, on the night of February 2nd, her life was taken from us in an instant, leaving our family and friends utterly devastated.”
The family is now urgently trying to raise funds to save Kaylie’s baby. To date, the GoFundMe campaign has raised $11,712 of its $30,000 goal.
“In addition to losing our sweet girl, we are now facing the urgent medical needs of her baby, who is fighting for her life. As we struggle to navigate this unimaginable tragedy, we are asking for support with any expenses related to our loss,” Corona wrote.
