A Santa Clarita Valley woman has been charged with several criminal counts including murder, attempted murder and assault for allegedly stealing a car and crashing it on the 210 Freeway, killing a Fontana man and injuring others.
Nicole Danielle Thibault was charged one minute after midnight Wednesday with 14 criminal counts, including: one count of murder, one count of grand theft, six counts of attempted murder and six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
The defendant was scheduled to be arraigned Friday, however, the court appearance was continued to Feb. 16 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Her bail was set at $8 million.
Prosecutors said on the afternoon of Jan. 22, Thibault reportedly stole a parked truck in San Bernardino. The defendant allegedly drove through red lights and at unsafe speeds before entering the 210 Freeway, prosecutors added.
Thibault allegedly drove westbound on the eastbound lanes for more than 20 miles, prosecutors said, and then collided head-on with several cars, according to prosecutors.
Victim Daniel Castillo, 69, of Fontana, died following the crash. Six other victims also suffered injuries, prosecutors said.
If convicted as charged, Thibault faces a maximum possible sentence of 57 years to life in prison.
The case is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
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