IN THE VIDEO PLAYER: Jana Giron Trial: Prosecutors say texts may have been deleted after fatal 2019 crash
——————
Jury selection began Tuesday in the long-awaited trial of a woman involved in a fatal three-car crash in 2019.
Jana Brianne Giron is charged in the deaths of 21-year-old Caitlin Festerling and 22-year-old Paul Garcia after she allegedly struck their Acura while traveling on Shannon Road and Sahuaro Divide in Oro Valley.
Giron is alleged to have been using her phone at the time of the crash.
Jurors entered the courtroom around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, where the presiding judge briefed them on the rules they must follow.
Several potential jurors were questioned and excused before the final jury was seated shortly after an afternoon break.
At around 3:02 p.m., the prosecution and defense began opening statements as each side presented its case to the jury of six women and six men.
"It was my fault," the prosecution said in opening statements, quoting a text message allegedly sent by Giron shortly after the crash. The state also mentioned that Giron deleted the text and the response she received.
The defense countered, arguing that Giron’s Buick rear-ending Festerling’s car was not the cause of the fatalities. Instead, they claimed the deaths resulted from the third vehicle involved in the crash—a white GMC truck that t-boned the passenger side of the car after it was struck from behind by Giron.
Before the day concluded, at around 3:23 p.m., the state called its first witness, an Oro Valley police officer who was a school resource officer at Ironwood Ridge High School at the time of the crash. He was the first officer on the scene.
Giron is being charged with:
- 2 counts of reckless manslaughter
- 2 counts of criminal damage
- 1 count of tampering with evidence
- 1 count of endangerment with risk of death.
The trial will resume Wednesday and is expected to last two weeks.
——-
Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
