Opening statements and testimony from seven witnesses marked the first day of the bench trial Monday for the former minor accused of serving as the alleged getaway driver in the April 2025 killing of Caleb Quick outside a Clovis McDonald’s.

Prosecutor Kendall Reynolds argued the case centers on the accused’s actions before the shooting, contending the killing was planned and that the defendant knowingly helped facilitate Quick’s murder.

Defense attorneys argued the prosecution’s case is largely circumstantial and maintained the accused did not know the alleged shooter intended to fire the gun. The defense said the alleged shooter orchestrated the events leading up to the shooting and claimed the accused getaway driver later chased after him, became frantic following the shooting, and struggled emotionally afterward.

The defense also alleged Quick had sexually assaulted a girl after taking her home while she was intoxicated, arguing that this motivated the alleged shooter. Prosecutors objected several times during the defense’s opening statement.

The defense also showed surveillance footage during its opening statement, alleging it showed the accused shooter asking the accused getaway driver to take him home before directing her to switch to the passenger seat. According to the defense, he then parked in a nearby neighborhood, shared his location, and left to carry out the shooting.

Prosecution Calls 7 Witnesses

The prosecution’s first witness, referred to as the minor witness, testified he and Quick had been friends for about two years. He said they routinely gathered after a Wednesday night youth group at the McDonald’s near Willow and Nees avenues for what the group called “Fry Night,” a weekly tradition that ended after Quick’s death.

The minor witness testified he, Quick, and Michael Salinas met at the restaurant after Quick finished working at the Clovis Rodeo. The group spent about an hour inside before leaving.

As they exited, the witness said he noticed a man dressed entirely in black whom Salinas described as “sketchy” in his later testimony. The minor witness testified that after Salinas held the door open, the man hurried past the group, approached Quick, pulled out a handgun, and shot him.

The minor witness said he dropped to the ground when the shot was fired, saw Quick collapse, and immediately applied pressure to the wound while Salinas called 911.

He also testified he saw the alleged getaway driver run toward the scene and told her to go back inside the restaurant.

Salinas largely corroborated that account. He testified he had been waiting with the minor witness for Quick before the three entered the restaurant together. Salinas said he also noticed the individual dressed in black and testified he was the one who held the door open for the alleged shooter before watching him quickly walk past and shoot Quick.

Both Salinas and the minor witness identified the accused in court.

Two Bystanders Testify

Richard Gabel, who was meeting his wife in the nearby Save Mart parking lot, testified he initially believed the gunshot was a vehicle backfiring. While waiting to turn onto the street, he said he saw the alleged shooter carrying a handgun and running across Willow Avenue before entering a nearby neighborhood.

Gabel testified he called 911 while following the alleged shooter and later saw a white Tesla matching the description of the alleged getaway driver’s vehicle speed past him. He also testified his own white Tesla recorded the incident. The defense declined to cross-examine him.

Meg Bowman testified she had been at the adjoining gas station getting a slushie before deciding to use the McDonald’s drive-thru because the line inside was long. She testified she noticed someone dressed in black before hearing what she initially believed was a tire blowing out.

After pulling over, she saw people running from the area and called 911, where dispatch told her multiple reports had already been received.

Clovis Police Officers Give Their Statements

Clovis police officer Marcus Burks testified he was the first officer to arrive and found Quick on the ground with two friends and a McDonald’s manager nearby. Burks said he immediately began rendering first aid before speaking with witnesses.

Prosecutors also introduced photographs of the scene, including images showing blood and Quick’s hat with a bullet hole.

Officer Ruiz testified he responded to the shooting, collected witness statements, and later went to the hospital where Quick was pronounced dead before the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office assumed the investigation.

‘Needed to Get Out’

The day’s final witness, Carlos Navarro, testified he attended youth group with both the alleged shooter and the accused before everyone later went to the McDonald’s. Navarro said the pair left youth group early and later sat with friends inside the restaurant before leaving together.

Navarro testified the accused told others she was taking the alleged shooter home near Shepherd and Clovis avenues before later returning to the restaurant. He said she began discussing rumors involving Quick, though Quick was too far away to hear the conversation.

Navarro also testified he previously told Clovis police the accused appeared on edge and avoided speaking to or looking at Quick that evening.

The prosecution also played surveillance footage from inside the McDonald’s. Navarro testified the accused said she “needed to get out” after someone entered the restaurant announcing there had been a shooting outside.

Although employees instructed customers inside the restaurant and adjoining gas station to remain inside, Navarro testified the accused left the building anyway.

The bench trial adjourned Monday afternoon and is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

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