Arrest Made In Crash That Killed 16-Year-old Girl: CHP

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — An arrest has been made in connection with a fiery crash that claimed the life of a 16-year-old Santa Rosa girl, the California Highway Patrol said.

Shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, Yaquelin Garcia Magdaleno, 16, was in a Toyota Camry that went off northbound U.S. Highway 101 and overturned in a retail parking lot at Burt Street and Santa Rosa Avenue, the CHP said.

Emergency personnel with the CHP and Santa Rosa Fire Department found the car on its roof, fully engulfed in flames, CHP Officer David deRutte said.

Yaquelin became trapped and was the only person in the car when authorities got there, deRutte said.

CHP's investigation indicated the Toyota drifted to the right and onto the shoulder where it struck a chain-link fence and two trees, then overturned and came to rest in the parking lot.

Yaquelin was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 16-year-old attended Santa Rosa High School.

In an update Wednesday, CHP said investigators worked tirelessly to find the driver who Yaquelin dead.

"As the investigation unfolded, investigators determined Jhovanne Velazquez (27, Santa Rosa) was driving at the time of the crash," the CHP said ."Velazquez fled the scene after the collision, leaving the victim behind."

Wednesday morning, investigators from CHP Santa Rosa, CHP Investigative Services Unit, SONCATT, Santa Rosa Police Department and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on a residence in Sonoma.

Velazquez was not there but investigators got information that led them back to Santa Rosa.

Velazquez, who had an outstanding warrant for sex crimes, was tracked down at a residence in Santa Rosa and arrested, the CHP said.

He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony hit and run, vehicular manslaughter and the outstanding warrant.

"Additionally, we are investigating whether Velazquez was intoxicated at the time of the crash," the CHP said.

As of Friday, Velazquez remained behind bars in lieu of $500,000.

According to jail records, he is also suspected of driving without a valid driver's license.