A Family Shattered’: Two Toddlers Killed in Rialto Hit-and-Run; Driver Faces Murder Charges

A late-night hit-and-run crash killed two toddlers and critically injured their parents in Rialto on Sunday, November 24, 2024, in what police say was caused by a suspected drunk driver who fled the scene.

The Rialto Police Department received reports of the three-vehicle collision at 11:01 p.m. near Riverside and Walnut avenues. Officers arrived at the scene within a minute, followed by paramedics, who discovered three victims inside a white Honda Accord.

Rialto Fire Department paramedics pronounced 4-year-old Neveah and her 3-year-old sister, Alinah, dead at the scene. Their mother, 24-year-old Valencia Avilez of Rialto, was driving the vehicle. Both she and the children’s father, 25-year-old Marky Yanez, sustained serious injuries and were transported to a local trauma center. 

The crash unfolded when a blue Dodge Ram, driven by Alexis Garcia, 28, of San Bernardino, sped south on Riverside Avenue and ran a red light at the Walnut Avenue intersection, according to preliminary police investigations. Garcia’s vehicle broadsided Avilez’s Honda Accord, propelling it into the eastbound lanes of Walnut Avenue, where it collided with a black Dodge Ram tow truck driven by a 24-year-old Fontana resident.

Garcia, who police said was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, fled the scene but was detained a quarter mile away when his vehicle became disabled. He remains hospitalized and will be booked into San Bernardino County Jail upon his release on two counts of murder under Penal Code 187(a). He is being held without bail.

Family members of the victims are pleading for community support as they mourn the loss of Neveah and Alinah and manage their parents’ medical expenses. “Both daughters were pronounced deceased at the scene, and both parents were transported to the hospital,” said Ciara Yanez, a family member. “Marky is undergoing surgery and will be unable to work until fully healed. We are asking for prayers and donations to help with medical and funeral expenses for the family.”

The Rialto Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team is conducting the investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Traffic Sergeant Dan Smith at (909) 644-6025 or submit tips anonymously through WeTip at (800) 782-7463, referencing case #932413118.

A verified GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist the family with mounting expenses. Donations can be made at https://shorturl.at/Jmg3k.

The case underscores the devastating consequences of impaired driving. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected to emerge.