12-Year-Old Girl Killed in Suspected DUI Crash in Terra Bella

TULARE COUNTY, CA – A 12-year-old girl died after a driver struck her as she crossed a road near Terra Bella Elementary School, and the California Highway Patrol arrested a 22-year-old Porterville man on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The collision occurred at about 5:37 p.m. Monday near Avenue 95 and Road 238 in the Tulare County community of Terra Bella. Investigators said Anthony Chavez-Valencia was driving a Ford Mustang west on Avenue 95 when he hit the child in the roadway.

The girl, Janessa Gonzalez, was taken to Sierra View Medical Center, where she died from her injuries. She attended Carl Smith Middle School in the Terra Bella Union School District and would have turned 13 on Sept. 10, according to her family.

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CHP investigated suspected alcohol involvement

CHP officers arrested Chavez-Valencia after the crash. The agency said alcohol appeared to have been a factor, although investigators had not completed their work or released a final account of the collision. The arrest represented an allegation, and no finding of criminal responsibility had been made.

Janessa’s great-grandmother, Eleanor Pina, said the child crossed the street without her family’s permission before she was struck. Pina said the impact knocked Janessa down and dragged her, an account that conveyed the severity of the crash but did not resolve the driver’s speed or the events immediately before impact.

Residents told local officials that vehicles often travel too fast through the area and called for a lower speed limit near the schools. Authorities had not said that speed contributed to this collision, and the CHP continued to investigate the cause separately from concerns about traffic patterns on Avenue 95.

School community gathered for Janessa

About 200 people attended a vigil near the crash site Tuesday night. Family members, classmates and neighbors added flowers and messages to a memorial for Janessa as her relatives began planning her funeral.

Her aunt, Cyndi Pina, said the family had deep roots in Terra Bella and knew many of the people who came to support them. Janessa’s relatives said the response from neighbors had helped them through the first days after her death.

Superintendent Nicolas Garcia said the loss affected families throughout Terra Bella. The school district made mental health professionals available to students and staff and encouraged children who needed support to speak with a teacher or another trusted adult.

The CHP Porterville Area Office asked witnesses and anyone with information about the collision to call 559-784-7444. The agency had not released further details about the Mustang’s movement or Janessa’s path across the road as of Thursday.