A woman, aged 39, is facing murder charges after allegedly using her vehicle to fatally hit a person she suspected of stealing packages from her home, as reported by the San Pablo Police Department. The incident took place on December 8, around 2:30 p.m., when law enforcement officers were called to a scene of a collision between a car and a pedestrian on Broadway Avenue.
The pedestrian, a 60-year-old woman, sustained serious injuries from the incident and was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical state. Unfortunately, her condition worsened, and she succumbed to her injuries on December 23.
The driver of the vehicle, Dene Blakely, reportedly had a heated argument with the victim over stolen packages. Blakely claimed to recognize the victim as the person who had previously pilfered a package from her home. The disagreement escalated, resulting in Blakely allegedly hitting the victim with her car intentionally. It remains uncertain whether the victim was indeed the thief or if Blakely had mistaken her for someone else.
Following the incident, Blakely was apprehended at the scene by the police. Initially, she was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on December 12. However, after the victim’s death, the charges were revised to murder by the prosecutors on the following Friday.
Blakely was later arraigned in court on the revised charges. The presiding judge set her bail at $1 million. Currently, she is being held at the Contra Costa County Jail, with her next court appearance scheduled for January 30.
The identity of the victim has not been released to the public. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and law enforcement officials are encouraging anyone with information to step forward.