A man suspected of driving drunk and causing a crash in Pomona that killed three women who were in a group returning from a baby shower was charged with three counts of murder and a single count of DUI causing bodily injury, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Victor Siharath, 36, is accused of causing the Saturday night crash that also left two other people injured, including a 12-year-old girl.
District Attorney George Gascón said Siharath ran a red light while traveling “well above the speed limit of 35 mph” and slammed into another vehicle carrying five people.
The crash occurred about 11 p.m. Saturday at White Avenue and Phillips Boulevard, the Pomona Police Department reported.
On Monday, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified two of the women who died as Alejandra Olaez, 33, and Yesenia Ochoa, 33, both of Pomona and both passengers in the car that was struck. Also killed was the driver of the car, Lorena Morales, 58, of Montclair, Gascón said.
Morales’ husband, identified by relatives as Jamie Garcia, who was in the front passenger seat, and a 12-year-old girl in the back seat were both critically injured, Gascón said.
Relatives said Ochoa was in the process of adopting her 11-year-old nephew when she was killed. The nephew, Brian Gonzalez, told ABC7 at a vigil Sunday that Ochoa was “a loving mother.”
“I feel like her time was way too short,” he said. “Although I do know she died peacefully and she died loving me. I wanted her to see me grow up.”
Relatives told the station the 12-year-old girl in the car was Noemi Olaez, daughter of Alejandra Olaez.
Gascón said Siharath has a prior DUI conviction out of San Bernardino County, and he was given a legal warning at the time that if he drove drunk again and caused a death that he could be charged with murder.