Orange County prosecutors charged a Fontana man with a prior drunken driving conviction Wednesday with murder, four days after a Memorial Day weekend crash on the Balboa Peninsula that killed a 14-year-old girl while trying to cross a busy street.
Joseph Alcazar, 30, was charged with crimes including murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing serious bodily injury, with two prior convictions; driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more and two prior convictions; and one misdemeanor count of willful endangerment of a child, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
On Saturday, the victim, Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley, 14, of Rialto, was crossing Balboa Boulevard, west of Palm Street, with two others against the no-walking sign, the prosecutor’s office said.
A driver stopped to let the group pass. But Alcazar, who was in the vehicle behind that ride, allegedly drove around the stopped car and hit Smiley while also running over the foot of a 13-year-old girl.
Smiley was pronounced dead at the scene.
“A 14-year-old girl living the California dream and enjoying a day of sun and sand at the beach with friends to start the summer died because of the selfish decision of a stranger,” said the prosecutor Todd Spitzer in a statement. statement. “A multiple drunk driver not only killed a little girl, but also endangered his own daughter’s life by getting behind the wheel after drinking and traumatizing her and the other young girls who crashed with him. seen hitting and killing a teenager.
Another man and Alcazar’s 8-year-old daughter were in the vehicle with him at the time of the crash.
Alcazar had two prior convictions for driving under the influence, including a collision that left him seriously injured. Information, including the date and location of previous convictions, was not immediately available.
He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life, plus six years if convicted on all counts.
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