Modesto man pleads not guilty in DUI crash that killed 73-year-old house sitter
The 20-year-old man accused of killing a 73-year-old woman while allegedly driving drunk and fleeing from California Highway Patrol officers pleaded not guilty Wednesday to an amended criminal complaint. His attorney requested additional time to review what she described as “voluminous evidence” in the case.
Appearing before Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Valli Israels, Zachariah James Knobel pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Rebecka Monez, to all charges and special allegations contained in the criminal complaint.
The hearing was largely procedural and lasted only a few minutes. About 10 spectators attended, including eight supporters of the family of Carla Zepeda, the woman killed in the crash, and two people on Knobel’s behalf.
“I spent every day with her,” Dmitri Grays, Zepeda’s grandson, told The Bee after the arraignment. “We had dinner every night together. I’d get off work, tell her about my day, talk about things that don’t matter. And then the next day, she’s gone.”
Monez told the court she expects to receive additional discovery from prosecutors and requested more time to review the evidence before the case proceeds.
“I’m expecting a little bit of discovery in this matter,” Monez told the court. “Before the first ECMC (early case management conference) gets here, I’d like to have time to get my arms around it.”
The judge granted the request and scheduled an early case management conference for Aug. 31 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 5.
Knobel also waived his statutory right to a preliminary hearing within the required time limits. He remains jailed without bail.
Following the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Mark Garcia confirmed he has been assigned to prosecute the case. Deputy District Attorney Harshan Samra, who filed the original charges, appeared alongside Garcia at Wednesday’s hearing.
Garcia said there were no substantive developments during the proceeding beyond the formal arraignment. “Right now, she’s (Monez) going to get the discovery,” Garcia told The Bee. “Other than that, he was arraigned today, and there’s not much else to add.”
Knobel is charged with murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing injury, felony evading a peace officer and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license. Prosecutors also allege multiple sentencing enhancements.
“The case is, of course, a tragedy,” Monez told The Bee. “A person has died because of it. I have not seen the evidence yet, and until I do, I can’t really make an assessment of the case. But for all parties involved, this is a very big tragedy, and at the end of the day, it’s a loss for our community.”
Authorities allege Knobel was driving under the influence on June 9 when he fled from CHP officers and crashed into a Modesto home, killing Zepeda. He was arrested after the collision and has remained in custody since his arrest. The prosecution has opposed bail throughout the case.
“I just hope he gets held to the utmost portion of the law because to my understanding, this is not his first rodeo,” Grays said. “This isn’t his first time being in trouble for the same exact thing as far as driving under the influence. They educate you on the importance of those kinds of things and obviously that didn’t set in the first time, and this time he took a life.”
Fundraiser created to help support victim’s family
Grays describes his grandmother as “the most selfless person,” who was giving and involved in the community.
“I still haven’t even really processed the whole thing,” he said. “It still feels like she’s out on one of her trips and she’s gonna walk through the door. It doesn’t feel real.”
People claiming to be family members have previously reached out to The Bee with information for a GoFundMe that was created “to help cover Carla’s funeral costs.” But Grays, who lived with Zepeda, was involved with her daily life and is taking care of her funeral arrangements, said he does not know the person who created the fundraiser, nor has the more than $7,000 raised been used for the stated purpose.
Grays has set up his own GoFundMe to help keep his family together and relocate since their home will have to be sold to cover Zepeda’s outstanding debts, he said.
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