California Highway Patrol reported Arnulfo Garcia, 65, and Yolanda Hernandez, 56, both died as a result of an accident at the intersection of Frazier Lake and Shore Roads in San Benito County.
Arnulfo Garcia, 65, spent most of his life in and out of California prisons. Two months after his release from San Quentin State Prison, he and his sister Yolanda Hernandez were traveling, looking at property in San Benito County when they died in the car crash.
The San Jose native served as editor-in-chief of the of the award-winning San Quentin News. The paper is written, produced, and edited by a staff of incarcerated men who are aided by seven professional advisers and volunteers.
After his release in July, Garcia had a dream of opening a program to help former inmates get a chance at a fresh start. According to a friend, Garcia and Hernandez were traveling through the area to look at a potential site Garcia planned to turn into a re-entry home for former inmates.
“He was very passionate about criminal justice reform and saw re-entry as a point of friction in the system,” wrote colleague and friend Aly Tamboura in an email to BenitoLink. The pair met while they were both incarcerated and worked for San Quentin News. Tamboura set up a GoFundMe to cover burial expenses. Tamboura said any residuals will be left to Garcia’s 17-year-old daughter.
According to the California Highway Patrol press release about the car accident which occurred 9:39 am. Sept. 23, Hernandez failed to yield at the stop sign and collided with two other vehicles in the intersection. The four passengers in the other vehicles did not require transportation for their injuries. The crash is still under investigation.
Garcia is survived by his daughter and siblings Carmelita Vargas, Arthur Garcia, Maria Rodriguez, Leilana Garcia, Jesus Garcia, and Nicholas Garcia.
Hernandez is survived by her children Joseph Hernandez, Lisa Hernandez, Corrina Castaneda, Raymond Nuno, and nine grandchildren.