Dad Charged After Tot Gets Behind Wheel of Idling Truck, Kills Girl: Cops

A California father has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 3-year-old toddler was left unattended in an idling pickup truck, climbed into the driver's seat and fatally struck a 2-year-old girl, local authorities said.

Julio Navarro-Vidrio, 34, of Woodland, California, is facing multiple charges including one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of child endangerment and a "case enhancement alleging that the crime involved great bodily harm and that the victim was particularly vulnerable" in the March 16 death, according to a statement by the Yolo County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.

The victim was identified as 2-year-old Ailahni Sanchez Martinez, her family told local station KOVR-TV.

Around 3:45 p.m. March 16, officers with the Woodland Police Department (WPD) were called about a toddler getting struck by a vehicle at the 76 Gas Station on West Street in Woodland.

Martinez was rushed to the hospital by her family members but succumbed to her injuries the following day, according to a statement from the WPD in March during the investigation of the crash.

Police determined that a man, identified later as Navarro-Vidrio, had left his pickup truck idling while parked at a gas pump as he went inside the gas station's store, the department said.

"A three-year-old child inside was in the backseat of the truck, in a car seat," WPD said. "The man entered the gas station store. While inside the store, the 3-year-old got out of their car seat and got into the driver's seat. The truck began moving forward and it collided with a 2-year-old child who was near a taco stand on the edge of the lot."

Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday night to the Yolo District Attorney's Office and Woodland Police Department for comment and an update on the case. It was unclear at the time of publication whether Navarro-Vidrio had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Sandro Sanchez, the father of the 2-year-old victim, recounted the harrowing ordeal and demanded justice for his little girl during an interview with KOVR.

"It was less than one minute," Sanchez said. "Everything happened and she was gone."

Sanchez said his daughter was sitting alone at a table near their family's taco stand when he heard a scream and saw the truck heading toward the girl.

"She was eating her tacos and all of a sudden I just hear screaming," the father said. "I ran, opened the door to the truck. I pulled the brake, thought I could stop it, but it was too late already."

During the interview, Sanchez said that he called for the truck's owner to be charged: "I want justice for my little girl because they let the guy just go free."

Navarro-Vidrio is not in custody but is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at 1:30 p.m. May 10, the district attorney's office said.