HOUSTON -- A woman accused of hitting a 7-year-old girl with her SUV and fleeing the scene went before a judge on Wednesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Destiny Garcia, 7, was leaving the soccer fields at Bear Creek Park on March 22 with her mother when she broke away and bolted across the parking lot.
Houston police said Vilma Buchala, 45, hit Destiny. Witnesses said she got out of her SUV, claimed she didn't hit the girl and then left.
Destiny was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where she died on March 23.
A week after Destiny's death, Buchala, who is a police officer's wife and a Catholic school teacher, was charged with third-degree felony failure to stop and render aid.
Judge Mike McSpadden found that there was probable cause to continue the state's case against Buchala.
Investigators said Buchala did not cause the accident and would not have faced charges if she had stopped and waited for officers.
Buchala's attorney, Ed Musick, said that she feared for her life after being intimated by several witnesses on the scene.
"You have the family screaming and hollering and running around like crazy. If you feel you are the focus of that anger, it can be very intimidating," the defense lawyer said. "My client was on the scene of that accident and did make sure the victim was receiving attention."
Musick said Buchala saw Columba Ferrel comforting her daughter and that she knew help was on the way.
"However, the law takes it one step further. The law requires that you are on the site until you provide your information and everything else," Musick said.
He said Buchala was remorseful.
"You can see that this has had a tremendous toll on her," Musick said. "She is very concerned for the family of the little girl, very concerned about the victim more than even her own situation."
According to the probable cause document, part of the SUV that hit Destiny was found at the scene was tagged as evidence. Buchala voluntarily turned over her vehicle to police and it had damage consistent with what was found at the scene, the document read.
Destiny's mother picked Buchala out of a photo lineup, police said.
Buchala is a teacher at St. Jerome Catholic Community, located at 8825 Kempwood Drive. Musick said she has not been able to work since the incident because of stress.
If convicted, Buchala could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. She is due back in court on April 28.
On Tuesday, Destiny's mother, Columba Ferrel, said she could not forgive Buchala for what happened.
"I feel lonely. I feel a lot of pain in my heart. I feel like there's a hole in my heart," she said.
Destiny's organs were donated to five people. A 7-year-old girl received her heart, a 35-year-old received a kidney and pancreas, a 10-year-old received her lungs, a 1-year-old received her liver, a 19-year-old received her intestines and a 67-year-old received a kidney.
"She died for someone else," Ferrel said.
