SAN JOSE (KRON) — 50-year-old Santa Clara resident Mireya Orta was arraigned Friday on three felony counts including murder, attempted murder and resisting arrest.
Orta is accused of driving her black Audi sedan onto the Permanente Creek trail at Rancho San Antonio Preserve in Cupertino and allegedly running down two people, one of whom died.
“We believe the facts show Ms. Orta ran over the first victim at Rancho San Antonio Park on October 1st at 12:45,” Deputy District Attorney Alaleh Kianerci said. “And then continued to driver erratically around the park and tried to run over a second victim who was able to avert the car.”
In court, wearing a waist-chain and handcuffs and mostly obscured by her attorney, Orta appeared distraught.
She is also charged with an enhancement for using her car as a weapon.
In a statement of facts, a sheriff’s deputy wrote that after running over the first man, Orta drove back and forth over the elderly man’s body multiple times.
A motive for the attack is unclear.
“We are not aware of any relationship between the defendant and any of the victims,” Kianerci said. “This is something we are looking at but the motive is an on-going investigation but ultimately that is our goal to find that out.”
The evidence shows that Orta could not have casually driven onto the trail and around vehicle barriers.
Deputies say the second victim escaped by scrambling behind a tree, suffering only minor injuries.
Being held without bail, Orta faces 33 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts.