Man Pleads Not Guilty To Murder In Carlsbad Pedestrian's Death

VISTA, CA — A man who allegedly drove drunk, struck and killed a woman in Carlsbad, then fled the scene, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that include murder.

Fernando Cruz Saldana, 26, of Escondido, is accused of hitting 45-year-old Vanessa Wheyland with his vehicle while she was crossing the intersection of Carlsbad Boulevard and Redwood Avenue on Tuesday night. Wheyland, a mother of three, was transported to a hospital, where she died.

Carlsbad police said the car involved in the crash was found just over a mile away from where the victim was struck and that a combination of evidence left behind at the scene, automated license plate readers, air support and assistance from community members contributed to locating the vehicle.

A criminal complaint filed against Cruz Saldana states he has a prior San Diego County DUI conviction from 2023 and that at the time of Tuesday's fatality, his driver's license had been suspended due to that conviction.

Along with murder, he is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI, hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license. He is being held without bail following a Friday afternoon arraignment.

— City News Service