Oakland woman pleads no contest in fatal hit-and-run in Santa Cruz - Contra Costa Times
SANTA CRUZ -- Joanna Marie Steele, an Oakland woman accused in a fatal hit-and-run of 70-year-old Adolfo Galvan in August 2014, pleaded no contest on Tuesday to felony leaving the scene of an accident and misdemeanor DUI, prosecutors said. Judge Timothy Volkmann said in court that he expects to sentence Steele to three years in prison when she returns to court Feb. "We were ready to go to trial," prosecutor Jesus Delgadillo said outside court Tuesday. Delgadillo said he was not sure why Steele changed her plea, although Steele faced up to four years in prison if convicted at trial. 24, 2014, Galvan was crossing the 700 block of Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz when Steele struck him with a white Nissan Frontier, Santa Cruz police said. Steele kept driving toward Beach Street and was arrested at a Pacific Avenue motel about 80 minutes later, police said. ------ (c)2015 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif. ) Visit the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif. Source: www.contracostatimes.com
