WOODLAND — A memorial of balloons, flowers and an American flag marks the spot where a 53-year-old Woodland man died in an alleged hit-and-run collision early Monday morning.
A few blocks away, the suspected driver in that crash pleaded not guilty Wednesday to gross vehicular manslaughter and other charges in connection with Douglas William Gatie’s death.
Ivan Martinez, 19, of Woodland, frequently hung his head during the brief arraignment hearing in Yolo Superior Court, where the teen requested the services of a public defender.
Commissioner Janene Beronio obliged, then set bail at $350,000 and ordered Martinez back to court Aug. 21 for a preliminary hearing.
A small group of Martinez’s relatives and friends were in court for the arraignment. Most declined to comment afterward, but one supporter described Martinez as “a good guy.”
“He doesn’t do nothing bad,” said Roberto Cruz Carrillo, who said he attended Woodland’s Pioneer High School with Martinez and worked with him briefly at a local farm.
Woodland police said Martinez was driving under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly struck Gatie, a pedestrian, at about 1:15 a.m. Monday at Main and Walnut streets. Gatie died at the scene of multiple blunt-force injuries.
Gatie’s family has declined interview requests from The Enterprise.
A license plate left at the crash scene led authorities to First and Laurel streets, where Martinez was found still sitting inside his vehicle and had to be forcibly removed from the car after refusing to comply with officers’ commands, according to police.
In addition to gross vehicular manslaughter, Martinez is charged with hit-and-run causing injury with an enhancement for fleeing the scene of a crime, as well as two drunken-driving counts with enhancements alleging infliction of great bodily injury.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
