35-year-old Tiffany Mercado holds an extensive criminal record, dating back to 2013. Her most recent conviction came in 2024, which included robbery and assault.
She was sentenced to six years in prison but was released less than two years into that sentence on January 2.
"The question comes, should this person have been released from jail? If she had not, this would have never happened and we would not have loss of life in this case," said Action News legal analyst Tony Capozzi.
The Fresno County District Attorney's Office on Thursday night filed charges against Mercado for the crash.
Those charges include vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, reckless driving, assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and being an unlicensed driver.
"I'm surprised more serious charges haven't been filed. To me, this looks more like a murder case," Capozzi said.
Action News has also learned that the District Attorney reviewed Mercado's past criminal record.
She is scheduled to be arraigned at the Fresno County court on Friday morning. If convicted, Mercado could face up to 19 years in prison.
Capozzi weighed in on what justice looks like for the family.
"I don't know where there's any justice whatsoever. There's a life that's lost by someone who was just released from prison. It just seems - the unfairness. The unfairness of life; the unfairness of the judicial system," said Capozzi.
Charges filed against woman accused of deadly hit and run crash in Parlier
As Mercado awaits her day in court, the community in Parlier continues to spend its days in mourning.
RELATED: Community mourns 15-year-old Parlier boy killed in crash
Yesenia Melengez added yet another candle to the growing memorial for Juliani, just feet away from where he took his last steps.
"My heart is broken," Melengez said.
She and her two children live down the street from the crash scene. Melengez told Action News the tragedy has left her daughter traumatized.
"She's all, mom I'm scared to go to the store..." Melengez said. "The store is nearby, I'll go buy stuff to cook. And she's all, 'I don't want you to go to the store anymore, just stay home.'"
We don't know exactly how fast Mercado was driving, but the distance between the intersection where Juliani was first hit and the spot where her car ultimately landed spans longer than 600 feet.
It's a stretch residents say is notoriously dangerous.
Manuel Campos and his family have lived on Mendocino Avenue for years, telling us Thursday that speeding cars are constant.
"You have them going down 50, 60 miles per hour sometimes," Campos said.
Exclusive surveillance video obtained by Action News outside Yoli's Snacks in Parlier shows a blue Toyota Camry, which police say was driven by Mercado, whizzing by the small business, which left behind a trail of dust and debris.
Another angle outside Francy's Bridal Flowers demonstrated just how fast Mercado was traveling.
"When we were crossing the street, we switched sides. That could have been me," said Mercedes, the girlfriend of Juliani Moreno.