Jurors heard new details Tuesday in trial of a woman accused of driving up on the sidewalk and striking two girls with her car in Tierrasanta.
Julianne Little, 30, faces gross vehicular manslaughter for the death of 10-year-old Raquel Rosete and and hit and run with serious injury charges for the injury of 12-year-old Mekayla Lee.
San Diego police said Little was driving home from work about 6 p.m. on February 20 when her car jumped a curb and ran into the girls as they were walking along the sidewalk near Santo Road near Shields Street.
Little listened to testimony Tuesday regarding the speed of her vehicle before the crash and the what the damage left to her car suggested to investigators.
The driver's side of the hood on Little's car had a large dent where Rosete was struck and damage to the right front light where Lee was struck, according to a San Diego police officer.
Officer Christine Garcia testified Rosete was thrown forward from the hood of the car.
“There's no dust or anything disturbed on the side of the car,” Garcia testified, pointing to the side of the hood not dented. “In order for her to come off the front of the car. Some braking must have been applied.”
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Little’s defense attorney Anna Yum told jurors in her opening statement that 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.
Little 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.
