A San Luis Obispo County jury on Monday convicted a Santa Maria man of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the 2018 death of an 82-year-old woman in Nipomo.
The jury handed down its verdict against Edgar Saul Rojas Morales, 25, in the killing of Maria Rosas Medina, also of Santa Maria, following a three-week trial in San Luis Obispo, according to Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth.Â
Morales also was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing injury, a felony; and driving on a suspended license, a misdemeanor.Â
Jury members were not able to reach a verdict on the charge of murder, with 11 jurors finding Morales guilty and one juror finding him not guilty, according to Dobroth.Â
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney s Office
Chelsea Annmarie Stiles, 27
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney s Office announced that a county jury has convicted a woman of numerous charges after deliberating a crash that killed a San Luis Obispo man in 2019.
27-year-old Chelsea Annmarie Stiles has been convicted for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated; driving under the influence of a drug causing death; four counts of assault with a deadly weapon using an automobile; leaving the scene of a vehicle collision causing injury; child abuse; and misdemeanor possession of cocaine.
However, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous conviction for the serious charge of murder after a two-month trial. The vote ultimately came to 11 to 1 in favor of guilt.
Jury convicts Arroyo Grande woman of manslaughter, deadlocked on murder charge
December 12, 2020
Chelsea Stiles
A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court jury found an Arroyo Grande woman guilty of nine charges including manslaughter, but was deadlocked on a murder charge.
Chelsea Stiles drove while under the influence of cocaine causing a crash on Highway 227 last December that killed Terry Tilton, 72, of San Luis Obispo. Stiles’ 18-month old daughter and two dogs were also in her vehicle at the time of the collisions.
Because of a previous DUI conviction, Stiles was eligible for a murder conviction. On the charge of murder, which requires a unanimous verdict, the jury’s decision was split 11-1 in favor of guilt.
Update posted March 24, 2021:
–District Attorney Dan Dow this week announced that 27-year-old Chelsea Annmarie Stiles has been sentenced to serve 15 years and eight months in state prison. In December 2020, a San Luis Obispo County jury convicted Stiles of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated; driving under the influence of a drug causing death; four counts of assault with a deadly weapon using an automobile; leaving the scene of a vehicle collision causing injury; child abuse; and misdemeanor possession of cocaine.
The deadly crash sequence occurred at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2019, on Highway 227 when Ms. Stiles, while under the influence of cocaine, intentionally rear-ended an automobile containing a family of four at 74 miles per hour, disabling the vehicle. About 19 seconds later, Stiles drove into the opposing lane of travel striking Tilton’s vehicle head-on at 68 miles per hour, killing him instantly. The defendant’s 18-month-old daughter and two dogs were also in h