Lisa Spoors sentencing

By James Sepeda

Fresno, Calif. (KFSR)—Lisa Ellen Spoors, a former graduate teaching assistant at Fresno State, was given a five-year jail sentence for her role in the October 2022 hit-and-run that killed Rashad Al-Hakim Jr., a student at Hoover High School.

Spoors was accused of murder, hit-and-run that caused physical harm or death, and operating a vehicle while under the influence

Spoors initially entered a not-guilty plea to all of the allegations.

Prosecutors found it challenging to demonstrate that Spoors was intoxicated at the time of the occurrence.

Back In February, Spoors accepted a plea agreement, entering a plea of no contest to charges of hit-and-run resulting in permanent disability or death and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence.

Prosecutors dropped the murder and driving while under the influence of drugs charges in exchange for the plea.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Spoors faced a maximum of five years in prison, which Fresno County judge Gabriel Brickey carried out on April 10.