A Lompoc Superior Court judge on Thursday ruled that a woman who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit that ended with a crash and caused a Santa Barbara man’s death did not qualify for a mental health diversion program.
Dinara Arevalo, 26, of Lompoc faces two felony criminal charges related to the incident that began in Lompoc and ended on the Gaviota Coast on Oct. 1, 2018.
Those charges — vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and felony evading an officer — stem from a crash that caused the death of Michael D. Garcia, 58, of Santa Barbara. Garcia, who had been in a coma and in critical condition after the collision, died 10 days later.
In addition, Arevalo faces allegations for inflicting great bodily injury on Brett J. Bronstad, 60, also of Santa Barbara.
Through her attorney, Catherine Swysen, the defendant contended that the incident stemmed from a mental health disorder and sought for the case to be referred to mental health diversion court, where successful treatment could avoid conviction and lead to dismissal of the criminal charges.
Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagner opposed the move and argued to keep the case in regular criminal court.
After hearing from two experts, Judge Raimundo Montes De Oca denied the request — for now.
“The defendant’s application for mental health diversion is denied at this time, without prejudice to renew this motion at a later time if the concerns noted in this ruling can be addressed in a more complete manner,” De Oca wrote in his ruling and echoed the sentiments Thursday.
He said the defendant’s voluntary treatment program did not meet the therapeutic requirements Arevalo needed nor the community’s public safety needs.
Expert witnesses provided differing opinions about Arevalo’s mental state.
Defense psychologist Dr. Susan Ferrant said she believed Arevalo had a serious mental disorder of schizophrenia.
“My results show she was not faking,” Ferrant said, adding she did not believe the defendant was lying about the symptoms.
Arevalo reportedly claimed she was hearing God’s voices and talking to God, according to Ferrant.
“She thought it was the devil chasing her,” Ferrant said. “She heard God tell her, ‘Go. Go.’”
The pursuit led from the city limits to Highway 1, where speeds reached 100 mph before entering Highway 101 and traveling south until the crash at Gaviota.
Regarding a Lompoc police officer who arrived at Arevalo’s home after a 911 call, “She believed he was the devil,” Ferrant said.
But the defendant’s actions and statements raised questions with the prosecution’s psychologist, Dr. Susan Ashley, including Arevalo speaking to police at the scene before fleeing.
“If she thought he was the devil, I would not expect her to converse with him,” Ashley said, adding that actions mentioned in the police report were contrary to someone in fear.
In statements after the crash, Arevalo blamed her speeding on worries about being late and getting dropped from her UCSB class.
Months after the crash, she mentioned hearing voices and having hallucinations, with Ashley calling the late revelation “very questionable.”
Ashley also said she noted several inconsistencies in Arevalo’s statements made during their conversation and the various records from others’ encounters with the defendant.
After his ruling, De Oca ordered the defendant and attorneys to return next month to Santa Maria Superior Court for an arraignment hearing.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.