Former Palm Springs Police Employee Heads Back to Court in Fatal Thanksgiving DUI Crash Case

A former Palm Springs Police Department employee accused of fatally striking an off-duty officer on Thanksgiving Day 2024 is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning for a trial readiness conference.

Juliana Granados, who faces charges of Watson DUI murder and vehicular manslaughter, is set to appear at 8:30 a.m. at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. She is currently out on bail.

Granados is accused of crashing into off-duty Palm Springs Community Service Officer Nicholas Griego on Thanksgiving. Investigators say the two had been at a restaurant together and that Granados was following Griego, who she considered a friend, home at the time of the crash.

Monday's trial readiness conference will determine how close the case is to moving forward to trial.