Editor’s note: This article, originally published at 6:12 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2024, was updated at 12:32 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2024, to add a comment from Pellegrino’s attorney.
A Laytonsville man is facing charges in connection with a July fatal two-vehicle collision in Montgomery Village that killed Yanique Tyshay Jones, 25, of Rockville, Montgomery County police said Tuesday in a statement.
Isaac Tomas Pellegrino, 29, was arrested Sunday and charged with homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, the statement said. Pellegrino, who was injured in the collision, also faces multiple traffic citations related to the July 20 fatal collision including negligent driving and speeding, according to digital court records.
Jones, who was a mother, had 5-year-old son at the time of the collision, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser campaign that was set up to help with funeral expenses and provide financial support for her son. The fundraiser had collected more than $17,000 of its $20,000 goal as of Tuesday.
“Yanique’s legacy is one of compassion and generosity,” the fundraiser said. “She was always the first to lend a helping hand, to comfort those in need, and to brighten any room with her infectious smile. Her love for Nasir [her son] was evident in every moment they shared together, creating memories that will forever be treasured.”
At a Monday bond hearing at the District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County in Rockville, Pellegrino’s bail was set at $10,000, according to digital court records. He was later released after posting 10% percent of the bond and awaits a Jan. 24 trial.
In a statement emailed to MoCo360 Tuesday evening, Pellegrino’s attorney, District Public Defender Sean Mukherjee, said the “circumstances of this case are tragic.”
However, “until all of the evidence is revealed at trial, no one should be making any assumptions about this case or Mr. Pellegrino, based on only one side of the story and half of the facts,” Mukherjee said. “Mr. Pellegrino is presumed to be innocent of the accusation against him.”
In Tuesday’s statement, police said Pellegrino was driving a blue 2019 Kia Stinger northbound on Goshen Road near Rock Elm Way when he allegedly collided with Jones’ white 2021 Hyundai Venue, which was traveling southbound. Officers responded to the crash site around 2:15 a.m. on July 20, police said in a July statement.
When Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews responded to the scene, they extricated Jones from the Hyundai. She was later transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.
In the July statement, police said the driver of the Kia, later identified as Pellegrino, suffered “serious but non-life-threatening injuries” in the collision and was transported to a local hospital.
A police investigation revealed Pellegrino’s blood alcohol content after the collision measured 0.19, more than twice the legal limit, according to Tuesday’s statement. He was also traveling 69 mph in a 35 mph zone, the statement alleged.
According to digital court records, police arrested Pellegrino on an arrest warrant issued Nov. 18.
