Defendant ‘not competent to stand trial’ after homeless woman killed, dragged for 8 miles in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The man who was facing charges after he allegedly struck and killed a homeless woman with his truck in May 2022 was found “not competent to stand trial” inside Fresno County Superior Court.

Following the hearing on March 18, court records show that Shawn Ginder was “released on all counts.” The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that the matter was dismissed due to the defendant’s incompetence to stand trial.

In a statement to YourCentralValley.com, the Fresno County DA’s office says various doctors, experts, and the court have tried to restore Shawn Ginder’s competency “so we could move forward with the prosecution.” However, officials say they finally concluded that Ginder will not be able to regain competency, therefore, there was no other option but to dismiss the case.

Shawn Ginder was facing charges after prosecutors alleged that he was responsible for the death of 29-year-old Monique Contreraz. Investigators alleged that the truck Ginder was driving struck 29-year-old Monique Contreraz and then dragged the body for eight miles. Contreraz was found at around 2:00 a.m. at a nearby hotel. Ginder was later arrested in Madera County.

The DA’s office adds that the U.S. Supreme Court considers that a criminal trial of an incompetent person violates due process as established by the Constitution. If Shawn Ginder is later found to be competent to continue the trial in the future, the criminal case could move forward.

The charges being dismissed do not mean the defendant can go free. The DA’s office adds that, based upon the nature of the defendant and the crime, sometimes a defendant is admitted to a State Hospital (like Atascadero) for treatment. A defendant could also be kept locally and treated.