Trial Begins for Driver in Fatal Tierrasanta Crash

Trial began Monday for a Tierrasanta woman implicated in a February 2016 crash that killed one girl and seriously injured another.

Julianne Little, 30, faces gross vehicular manslaughter and hit and run with serious injury charges for the death of 10-year-old Raquel Rosete and the injury of Rosete’s friend, 12-year-old Mekayla Lee.

San Diego police said Little swerved off the road, up the curb and into the girls as they were walking along the sidewalk at about 6 p.m. on February 20 in the area of Santo Road near Shields Street.

Lee testified in court that neither Rosete or her had heard the car approaching them.

Little’s defense attorney Anna Yum said her client fell asleep at the wheel and was not texting at the time of the crash.

At a pretrial hearing, San Diego police Officer Jason Costanza testified he noticed an outgoing phone call and text from Little's phone at the time of the accident.

"It said, 'I'm going to miss you, my friend,'" Costanza said.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys said Little sent that text at 22 seconds after 5:56 p.m.

The defense told the jury Little sent the text while sitting at a red light at Aero Drive and Santo Road. After Little sent the text, Yum said, the traffic signal turned green.

A 911 call from a passerby registered with the CHP at eight seconds after 6 p.m., according to the prosecutor.

At 6:02 p.m., Little's phone connected to her house wifi, the prosecutor said.

"There is not one single phone call for help," she told jurors.

One jogger and another driver found the girls in the bushes off the bike lane. Rosete suffered a brain injury and passed away after the crash. Lee suffered a fractured ankle, concussion, and abrasions along her back.

Under cross-examination, the jogger testified she called 911 from her at 5:58 p.m. and had been on the scene two or three minutes before she made the call.

Little told investigators that she fell asleep at the wheel. She left the scene but later returned with her father.

Her attorney said the defendant was not aware that she struck anyone when her car went off the road.

She was initially arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, but now investigators said there was no evidence of impairment.

Little is facing charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run.

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