The man accused of fleeing California Highway Patrol officers, crashing his car, and killing Marvin Boomer, a Castlemont High School teacher, will not be released from jail before trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.

At a pretrial hearing at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in Oakland, Judge Elisa Della Piana denied 19-year-old Eric Hernandez Garcia’s request for mental health diversion. Under state law, mental health diversion allows people facing criminal charges to undergo mental health treatment instead of being prosecuted in the traditional criminal court system.

“I don’t think you intended harm to another person,” Della Piana told Hernandez Garcia. “I think you made rash decisions here and didn’t realize the consequences.”

For months, Hernandez Garcia’s attorneys have sought mental health diversion, arguing that he has schizophrenia, which impaired his judgment leading up to the crash. 

But Deputy District Attorney Nora Wong argued that the defense failed to establish a qualifying mental health diagnosis and treatment plan, nor did they show that Hernandez Garcia does not pose a risk to public safety.

Della Piana ultimately agreed with the prosecution, citing reports from forensic psychiatrists for the prosecution that raised questions about Hernandez Garcia’s diagnosis and whether his symptoms would be responsive to mental health treatment.

“I don’t have sufficient evidence to grant mental health diversion,” Della Piana said.

“We will continue to advocate for our client,” said Martin Caraves, one of Hernandez Garcia’s attorneys, during the hearing.

A police chase that ended in tragedy

Martin Sanders, Boomer’s best friend, holds a pair of Boomer’s glasses on June 5, 2025. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside

On May 28, 2025, Hernandez Garcia was being chased by CHP officers across Oakland. According to the CHP, officers called off their pursuit several times, with the last time just after they failed to stop Hernandez Garcia near Park Boulevard. 

Hernandez Garcia raced up East 21st Street and crashed near 12th Avenue into a fire hydrant. The hydrant hit Boomer as he attempted to shield his partner, Nina Woodruff. Boomer, 40, died at the scene, police said, and Woodruff sustained a concussion and other major injuries. The couple had been on an afternoon stroll.

Hernandez Garcia, who was 18 at the time of the crash, fled and was chased down on foot by CHP officers who took him into custody.

Hernandez Garcia entered the courtroom Tuesday handcuffed and in a green jumpsuit. His family members, including his sister and aunt, sat quietly, some folding their hands in prayer as the judge and lawyers debated his request.

Behind them sat Boomer’s mother, sisters, and best friend, all of whom provided statements to the court opposing Hernandez Garcia’s request for diversion.

Martin Sanders, Boomer’s best friend and fraternity brother at Tennessee State University, said he had “serious questions” about the decisions made by CHP officers that day and whether they could have apprehended Hernandez Garcia before it progressed into a high-speed pursuit through a residential neighborhood.

“But accountability for those issues does not erase Mr. Hernandez Garcia’s accountability for his own conduct,” Sanders said. “He chose to flee law enforcement. He chose to drive at a dangerous speed through a residential neighborhood. Those choices created an extraordinary danger to people who had nothing to do with whatever circumstances caused him to encounter law enforcement that day.”

Tynesha Boomer, Marvin’s older sister, said that at the bail hearing in August, the court found that Hernandez Garcia fled from police three separate times on the night of the crash.

“Whatever role Mr. Hernandez Garcia’s mental health condition has played in his conduct, the outcome was catastrophic,” she said.

After the judge’s ruling, Hernandez Garcia’s family and Boomer’s family left the courtroom in tears, reliving the memories in the aftermath of the fatal collision.

Members of Hernandez Garcia’s family told The Oaklandside after the hearing that they are “hurting” and that they didn’t believe Hernandez Garcia ever intended to cause harm to anyone.

In a statement after the ruling, Michelle Bernard, attorney and spokesperson for Boomer’s family and Woodruff, described the judge’s decision as a “meaningful step” toward accountability.

“While today’s ruling is significant, their fight for justice is far from over,” Bernard said. “We will continue to stand with them every step of the way.”

Tynesha said her brother’s death and the legal proceedings that followed have required her family to travel repeatedly to Oakland from the East Coast, intensifying their grief.

“It doesn’t even feel right being in Oakland without him being here,” she said.

One of Boomer’s former students sent Tynesha an Instagram message this week, showing her a photo of his leg, which now has a tattoo of Boomer’s face on it with the caption: “One of my favorite people in the world.”

“There will never be enough words to describe what he meant and still means to our family and to every student he taught,” Tynesha said.

Hernandez Garcia could stand trial next year, unless he accepts a plea deal.

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