FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase before crashing into a Fresno home and killing two sisters will stand trial on murder charges.<\/p>\n
“Based on the evidence produced, the court finds there is reasonable, probable, and sufficient cause…” the judge said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors allege Adam Canales caused the deaths of Mang Yang and Eliza Yang in October 2024 when he crashed into their home while fleeing from law enforcement.<\/p>\n
After two days of testimony, the judge ruled there is enough evidence for the case to move forward.<\/p>\n
“The defendant is held to answer on all four counts,” the judge said.<\/p>\n
The final witness was Fresno Police Detective Matthew Ames, who investigated the crash and analyzed the vehicle’s movements before impact.<\/p>\n
Ames testified that Canales attempted to brake moments before the collision, but was traveling too fast to safely navigate the roadway.<\/p>\n
“The traffic would either have to turn north or south. In this case, the vehicle was unable to make a north or south turn and collided with the residence,” Ames said.<\/p>\n
Defense attorney Miles Harris argued prosecutors had failed to show the level of intent necessary for second-degree murder and instead asked the court to consider lesser charges such as gross vehicular manslaughter.<\/p>\n
“Nobody involved in that, including two officers that had considerable experience, foresaw or recognized the risk,” Harris argued. “Otherwise, perhaps to those officers’ credit, they wouldn’t have engaged in a high-speed pursuit for a traffic stop.”<\/p>\n
Prosecutors disagreed, pointing to Canales’ statements immediately after the collision.<\/p>\n
“Mr. Canales’s immediate statement spontaneously to officers of ‘Did I hit anybody? Did I hurt anybody?’ shows that he was aware that the way he was driving was so dangerous that it was dangerous to human life,” Deputy District Attorney Adam Christopherson argued.<\/p>\n
In the end, the judge sided with prosecutors, finding there was sufficient evidence to support the murder charges.<\/p>\n
“The record supports a finding that the defendant acted with conscious disregard for life, as would support an implied malice for second-degree murder,” the judge said.<\/p>\n
With the ruling, Canales will now move on to a jury trial, where prosecutors will seek to hold him accountable for the deaths of Mang and Eliza Yang.<\/p>\n
Canales is expected back in court in December.<\/p>\n
For news updates, follow Vincent Camarillo on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n