• 12
  • February
    2010

The family of a hit and run victim in Escondido are hoping for closure in a case that has stretched out for over two years.

In late 2007, Marlene Resendiz was crossing a street in Escondido when she was struck by a driver, and thrown onto the car's hood. The driver continued for several hundred yards, then slowed down to allow Resendiz to fall off the hood, and sped away.

Resendiz did not survive the accident.

On Tuesday, Tiffany St. Ives, a local animal activist, was arrested after a witness linked her to the hit and run, claiming St. Ives had asked him to repair her damaged car and, later, take it to Mexico and sell it. It's not known why the man, who was not identified, waited so long to come forward.

As of Thursday night, St. Ives was being held on $2 million bail.

A prominent animal activist, she owns and operates The Purple Cow, a non-profit animal rescue farm located just north of San Diego. In response to the charges, St. Ives has continued to maintain her innocence and pleaded not guilty,

If found guilty, she could face four years in prison and thousands in fines.

The California Vehicle Code requires that all drivers involved in auto accidents remain at the scene of the crash. In accidents resulting in injury or death, the driver is required to stop, and if possible, render assistance to the victim or report the accident immediately.

In a hit and run that results in the victim's death, a driver can face up to four years of prison time and $10,000 in fines.

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