A Santa Clarita Valley man charged with a Feb. 7, 2023, fatal hit-and-run crash on Soledad Canyon Road — and then beating up a witness against him less than two weeks later — will now see both cases against him in one trial, possibly as early as next month.
Judge Scott Andrew Yang ordered the cases against James Preston Fulton consolidated, as the defendant reaffirmed his not-guilty plea during a Jan. 23 hearing.
The cases are now set for a March 16 jury trial, although a person familiar with the proceedings indicated that, due to a promotion in the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office it’s likely that a new prosecutor would be assigned to the case.
The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for information Tuesday afternoon regarding the status of the prosecutor.
The first case alleges Fulton was driving a white F-450 on Soledad Canyon Road, east of Indian Canyon, when he made a U-turn directly in front of Jeff Engels on Feb. 7, 2023.
“The defendant drove for approximately one-quarter mile with the victim being dragged underneath the truck. Eventually the victim became dislodged, and other motorists found his body on the highway. CCTV footage of the collision was collected by law enforcement and after interviewing witnesses it was determined that following the collision the defendant drove to his residence, parked the truck behind bushes and left the location,” according to the motion filed by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
The second case is related to the first charges, a judge ruled on Jan. 23.
It alleges on Feb. 20, 2023, Matthew Schoenholz, who knows the defendant well, observed the truck being driven by the defendant right after the time of the crash.
“Shortly after his phone call with (California Highway Patrol) on Feb. 20, it is alleged that the defendant and four other people went to victim/witness Matthew Schoenholz’s residence and attacked him,” according to the prosecution’s motion, noting the defendant used his hands, feet and a jack handle before driving away from the location in Schoenholz’s car.
A series of delays have pushed the trial off for nearly three years, as family members of Jeff Engels have reached out to local media with questions about the trial.
Fulton was first charged with the February 2023 crash in July 2024, with the charges related to the alleged assault two weeks after the crash coming last year.
