By Pedro Maturana
The preliminary hearing for Kevin Arthur Wilson began on Friday. Wilson is being charged with infliction of corporal injury, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism after he allegedly tried to hit his ex-girlfriend with his RV.
The prosecution called the alleged victim, “Ms. S,” to the stand. She and Mr. Wilson had been in a two year on-and-off relationship. Ms. S testified that on February 11, 2019, Wilson picked her up from her home in Woodland to take her to work. They began to argue as usual.
When they arrived at the Eagles Lodge parking lot in Woodland, Ms. S got out of the car and took her bike from the RV. She and Wilson continued to argue and were cursing at each other. Ms. S got on her bike and began to ride away. Wilson said something to her, and she turned around and rode to the driver’s side of his RV.
Ms. S testified that she “sarcastically” tapped on his driver’s side mirror and said, “have a good day.” This allegedly prompted Wilson to put his RV into gear and accelerate toward Ms. S. She tried to get off her bike when the wheel of Wilson’s RV hit the wheel of her bike making the handlebar turn and hit her leg, leaving a bruise on her left leg.
The prosecution asked Ms. S if Wilson turned the RV in her direction after putting it into gear. “I don’t know. I’m not sure. I don’t remember,” she said.
Deputy Public Defender Richard Van Zandt asked Ms. S if she was at arm’s reach from Wilson when she tapped the mirror. She replied that she had to walk two steps toward the mirror and reach forward to tap it before she moved away. Ms. S could not give an estimate of how far she was from the mirror.
Van Zandt asked her if the bike’s handlebar hit the RV. She replied that it was only the bike’s tire that hit the RV.
Judge David Reed stepped in to clarify Ms. S’s testimony. He asked her if the RV moved to the left to hit her. “I don’t know,” she said. Then he asked her if it moved forward and hit her. Again, she didn’t know.
The prosecution called Deputy Sheriff Daniel Del Castillo from the Yolo County Sheriff’s department to the stand. Del Castillo took the call regarding the RV incident on February 11, 2019. When he arrived at the scene, he spoke to Ms. S. She told him the story of what happened.
Ms. S asked Wilson for a ride from her mother house. While in route, Wilson began to “talk sh**” asking her for $5 for gas. After they arrived, she began to ride away until he said something to her which prompted her to return to the driver’s side window. She tapped the mirror and Wilson put the RV in gear, turned the wheel toward her and “gassed it.” After he accelerated, Ms. S jumped and began to jump off her bike. That is when the RV hit the bike and the bike hit her.
Del Castillo testified that Ms. S had light redness on her leg but no bruises when he was questioning her.
Later that day, Del Castillo located Wilson at his mother’s house in Woodland. Del Castillo investigated the condition of the RV. The front fender had a fresh scratch. The driver’s side mirror had three finger indentations. The driver’s side front tire had a couple of “clean” smudge marks. Del Castillo explained that the “clean” marks were due to an object rubbing the dirty tires clean. Additionally, there were smudges on the driver’s side of the living box of the RV.
Van Zandt asked Del Castillo to describe Ms. S’s speech. Del Castillo testified that she was visibly shaken and upset. Van Zandt asked Del Castillo if she had been talking quickly and if she was “tweaking” (high on methamphetamines). Del Castillo said that he was not there to check whether Ms. S was on drugs. He was there to investigate the incident.
Del Castillo testified that the day after the incident he spoke with Ms. S. She sent him a picture of the bruise that the bike’s handlebar had left on her leg.
Wilson’s arraignment will be held on March 15, 2019.