A woman charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run in Manchester that killed a Rindge woman waived her probable cause hearing Tuesday.
Maria Camila Posade Canizales, 27, of Manchester, is charged with conduct after an accident after allegedly fleeing the scene where she struck Juliana Harbeck, 60, of Rindge, in a Taco Bell parking lot in Manchester on Sept. 17. Harbeck died later that day of her injuries.
A probable cause hearing is held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for a felony case to proceed to trial. Canizales was scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday at the 9th Circuit Court in Manchester but waived the proceeding through her attorney and did not appear.
According to an affidavit filed by Manchester police, police first responded to a 911 call from a man who said his girlfriend, later identified as Harbeck, had gotten into an argument with a person in another car who ran her over. He later told police that Harbeck told him she knew two people in the car and went over to speak with them.
The man reported witnessing a struggle in which the driver pulled Harbeck into the car and the passenger punched her. He said he ran to the car to try to pull her out, but the vehicle reversed, Harbeck fell to the ground, and the car continued to reverse, running over Harbeck, according to the affidavit.
A witness provided police with the vehicle’s license plate number, which was registered to Canizales. Canizales, who later reported to the Manchester Police Department for an interview, told police that Harbeck approached her car to ask if she wanted to buy cigarettes. Canizales said she agreed to purchase them for $2 and that Harbeck returned to her car to retrieve a pack.
Canizales told police that when she took out the $2 to pay for the cigarettes, she was also holding about $100 of her rent money, and Harbeck attempted to take all of the bills, which caused the fight. Canizales told police she had not realized that she had hit Harbeck with the vehicle.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.