Wenatchee man charged with murder in crash that killed ex-girlfriend

A Wenatchee man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly ramming his ex-girlfriend’s SUV into an irrigation ditch near the Grant County town of Quincy.

Jessica L. Cuali, 24, of Quincy, called 911 early Saturday to report she was being followed by her ex-boyfriend along state Highway 28, according to a Washington State Patrol news release.

Cuali was driving a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer, and the ex-boyfriend, identified by authorities as Carlos E. Carranza Ibarra, 26, was behind her in a 1996 Kia sedan.

The WSP said Carranza Ibarra’s car rammed Cuali’s SUV, causing it to roll over into a ditch, at about 12:30 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said Cuali was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

After the crash, Quincy police chased the Kia westbound until it, too, crashed into a ditch, the WSP said. Carranza Ibarra managed to escape on foot, but authorities found him at a residence in Wenatchee, about 30 miles northwest of Quincy. He was arrested at about 10:40 p.m.

According to an online fundraiser set up by Cuali’s family, she leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter named Arianna.