Charges Filed in Fatal Parlier Crash that Killed 15-Year-Old

Published on March 12, 2026

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Tiffany Maribel Mercado (35, of Parlier) for the death of a fifteen-year-old boy.

It is alleged that on March 10, 2026, in the City of Parlier, Mercado was driving a vehicle southbound on Mendocino Avenue approaching Parlier Avenue when she failed to stop at a posted stop sign and entered the intersection at a high rate of speed, striking two teenagers who were walking within a marked crosswalk on the west side of the intersection. As a result of the crash, the fifteen-year-old male victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Felony Complaint filed in the Fresno County Superior Court alleges that Mercado committed:

• One (1) count of GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER [Penal Code §192(c)(1)];
• Two (2) counts of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON [Penal Code §245(a)(1)];
  • Two (2) Enhancements for PERSONAL INFLICTION OF GREAT BODILY INJURY [Penal Code §12022.7(a)];
• One (1) count of RECKLESS DRIVING CAUSING SERIOUS BODILY INJURY [Vehicle Code §23105(a)];
  • One (1) Enhancement for USE OF A DEADLY WEAPON [Penal Code §969f];
• One (1) count of DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE [Vehicle Code §12500(a)]

It is further alleged that Mercado previously suffered a strike conviction out of San Bernardino County, as well as six additional prior felony convictions. Mercado was last sentenced to six years in state prison in April 2024. She was subsequently released from prison on January 2, 2026, and placed on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS).

This incident occurred approximately two months after Mercado’s release from state prison.

If convicted of all charges and allegations, Mercado faces up to 19 years in state prison.

Mercado was arrested on March 10, 2026, in Parlier and booked into the Fresno County Jail. Her arraignment is scheduled for March 13, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Department 10 of the Fresno County Superior Court.

At the time of her arrest, Mercado was booked on additional driving-under-the-influence related charges. Based on the evidence currently available, and while toxicology and other investigative reports remain pending, the District Attorney’s Office filed the charges listed above. The case will continue to be evaluated as additional evidence becomes available.

The crash remains under investigation by the Parlier Police Department, and additional reports and forensic testing are still pending.

This case is being prosecuted by the Alcohol and Drug Impaired Driver Vertical Prosecution Program, which is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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