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SALT LAKE CITY — A woman accused of hitting and killing a 2-year-old who was being pushed in a stroller by his mother has been sentenced to jail and probation.
Kimberly Samantha Re Munoz, 21, was ordered to serve 88 days in jail and spend three years on probation for the charge of accident involving property damage, a third-degree felony, in 3rd District Court Monday. Judge Elizabeth Hruby-Mills sentenced Munoz to zero to five years in prison, but suspended the prison time in favor of 88 days in jail.
Because the judge gave Munoz credit for 58 days she already spent in jail, the woman will have to spend another 30 days behind bars.
On June 10, Munoz hit 2-year-old Gavyn Barnett as his mother pushed him in a stroller across 5600 West at 4005 South in a poorly lit area outside of a crosswalk, according to charging documents. Police say Munoz stopped briefly, became scared and then fled.
The case went cold for detectives until a tip from Munoz's ex-boyfriend led to detectives arresting her late last month.
Munoz told investigators "it was dark outside and she had forgotten her glasses and couldn't see very well," according to the charges. Munoz has a restriction on her license that requires her to wear glasses or contacts while driving.
"As she was driving, she accidentally hit someone crossing the street because she didn't see them crossing," the charges state.
Investigators also determined the windows of Munoz's vehicle had a darker tint than legally allowed and said she was driving with no insurance at the time.
Munoz was originally charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, a third-degree felony; driving with no insurance, a class B misdemeanor; driving while violating restrictions on license, a class C misdemeanor; and illegal window tinting, a class C misdemeanor.
She pleaded guilty to accident involving property damage, a third-degree felony, in January. The rest of the charges were dismissed in exchange for her plea.
Munoz's father, Rodolfo Damian Munoz, 54, was also charged in the case. Detectives said Munoz knew of his daughter's accident but did not report it to police, and then denied having knowledge of the crash even when confronted by investigators. He has a preliminary hearing for obstructing justice, a class A misdemeanor, set for April 17.
