Life in limbo for family of Fresno hit-and-run, dragging victim

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Life is in limbo for family members of the woman who was killed this month when a truck hit her in northwest Fresno and dragged her across town.

The circumstances of Monique Contreraz's life were often unhappy, but one of her sisters remembers her focus on joy.

"She's just always been a very happy, bubbly, do anything for anybody," said Rachelle Shelton.

Shelton welcomed her sister to live with her out in Colorado about 10 years ago.

Rachelle hadn't seen Monique in person since she left to come back to the Central Valley, but they talked sporadically when Monique had access to a phone.

"She'd leave a voicemail about how she missed me or that she was doing good, she was okay," Shelton said.

Monique experienced homelessness as an adult as she did for a couple years as a child.

Rachelle got one last call about her 17 days ago, a few hours after a hit & run driver killed her.

"I don't really know how to explain what ran through my mind," she said. "I was hoping everybody was wrong."

A man in a truck had hit Monique at Herndon and Milburn.

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He drove eight miles with the body still stuck to his truck until he got to the La Quinta Inn on Shaw and Cornelia, where he got out and left Contreraz's body.

"To drag somebody eight miles, like, I don't understand how you can do that," Shelton said.

Police identified the driver as Shawn Ginder and when they tracked him to a home in Bass Lake, he jumped from a third story window and has been in the hospital ever since.

Ginder has three prior DUIs in Fresno County, including one where he admitted to a hit-and-run causing property damage.

A family attorney says they have suspicions about why Ginder drove away from the crash.

"He left that scene for a reason," said Patrick Steinfeld. "Perhaps he was just scared, but to leave the scene of an accident and combine that with dragging a body for eight miles is just reprehensible conduct."

They're waiting for police reports and they'll decide whether to file a civil lawsuit.

In the meantime, Rachelle is hoping to get her sister's ashes out to Colorado, where they'll have a home with her.

"I just hope, you know, she can rest in peace," Shelton said.

At last check, Ginder was still in critical condition at a local hospital.

Prosecutors have not yet charged him with a crime, but say they will if he ever gets out of the hospital.