Jury selection begins March 11 in the vehicular manslaughter case against Marie Antoinette Villarruel. The incident in question occurred August 1, 2008 resulting in the death of James Mainer, 61. (File Photo)
By G. T. Houts
UPDATE – Monday, March 10 – 6:42 p.m.
San Bernardino, CA – Jury selection begins Tuesday, March 11, in the vehicular manslaughter case against Marie Antoinette Villarruel from Crestline. Villarruel is charged with the death of James Mainer, 61, on August 1, 2008.
The jury selection process of the trial — which is expected to last five (5) days — will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Department S-19.
ORIGINAL STORY
San Bernardino, CA – The vehicular manslaughter case against Marie Antoinette Villarruel from Crestline related to the 2008 death of James Mainer, 61, is finally ready for trial.
On Friday, March 7, Judge Douglas Gericke presided over a trial readiness hearing and set Monday, March 10, for Villarruel to return to court at 8:30 a.m. in Department S-14-R on the recall calendar. The trial is estimated to last five days.
Judge Gericke allowed the defendant to remain free on her own recognizance. Villarruel, now 66, was directed to appear as previously ordered. She was not present for the trial readiness hearing.
THE INCIDENT
Mainer died about a month after the incident on Lake Drive in Crestline from injuries sustained when he was allegedly struck by the defendant’s black Mercedes Benz SUV after buying a soda at a nearby liquor store.
The incident –which happened at 8:25 p.m. on August 1, 2008 – was partially caught on the store’s security camera, but CHP investigators reported the actual impact was not recorded.
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