Judge sets $50K bail for woman facing DUI charge in Las Vegas fatal crash

A judge set bail at $50,000 on Wednesday for a woman accused in a fatal crash who faces a DUI charge.

Michelle Cardenas, 29, faces fatal DUI and reckless driving charges in connection with a crash that killed 51-year-old Ivy Manantan.

The Clark County coroner’s office said Manantan died from blunt force injuries. The fatal crash was one of four on Nov. 6 in the Las Vegas Valley and one of nine traffic deaths in a particularly deadly five-day period.

Cardenas’ attorney, Don Green, told Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure at a Wednesday hearing that his client — who police said was taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit in critical condition — is still in police custody at the hospital with serious injuries.

Bonaventure set bail at $50,000. If Cardenas posts bail, she’ll be on high-level electronic monitoring, will be ordered not to drink alcohol or use controlled substances and will have to use an alcohol monitoring device. She is not allowed to drive.

Before setting bail, the judge said he acknowledged the serious nature of the charges and Cardenas’ demeanor when she was arrested, as well as her local connections and lack of apparent criminal history.

“She’ll make the conditions,” said Green. “I’m sure that there’ll be a quick release from the hospital.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Eric Bauman said he was concerned about Cardenas’ ties to Las Vegas given that she was driving a car with out-of-state plates and had an out-of-state driver’s license.

Bauman said Cardenas also attempted to “obstruct the investigation” by trying to prevent field sobriety tests, becoming aggressive when she was arrested and refusing to turn over her phone. “Those concerns leave me with concerns that she would attempt to evade responsibility,” he said.

He requested $100,000 bail with conditions of electronic monitoring and alcohol monitoring.

Bonaventure said he shared those concerns. Cardenas showed no remorse and blamed the other driver, according to the judge.

“As to her not showing remorse, after 41 years of practice, I’ve probably had two or three people in that entire time who’ve ever said, ‘I’m really sorry for what happened,’” Green said.

He said his client has lived in Las Vegas for a couple years, works and has family in the area. He didn’t know why she was using an out-of-state license, he said. He requested bail be set between $25,000 and $50,000 with the other conditions prosecutors requested.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.