Woman with history of drunk driving sentenced to 15 years to life in California crash that killed expectant mother

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California woman with a history of driving under the influence convictions has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for a crash that killed a 23-year-old pregnant woman and left her baby . in critical condition.

Courtney Pandolfi, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year as the case headed to trial, the Orange County Register reported Friday.

Prosecutors said Pandolfi was taking a “drug cocktail” including cocaine and methamphetamine in August 2020 when she drove her Jeep SUV on a sidewalk in Anaheim. striking Yesenia Aguilar, who was eight months pregnant. Aguilar’s husband, James Alvarez, was walking with her but was not injured.

Aguilar died, but her daughter was delivered surgically and survived. The daughter, Adalyn Rose, is now 3 years old.

Pandolfi, of Garden Grove, was convicted of driving under the influence of drugs in 2008, 2015 and 2016. As a result, she received a warning — known as the Watson Notice — that if she continued to drive under the influence and kill someone, she could be charged with murder.

In addition to pleading guilty to the crash that killed Aguilar, Pandolfi also admitted to driving while on a combination of drugs, including methamphetamine and morphine, in November 2019. She also admitted to possessing and used illegal drugs in jail while awaiting trial, the Register reported.

Speaking after the sentencing, Alvarez detained Adalyn Rose and said he believed his wife’s last thoughts were of their daughter.

“She survived. I survived. So I was given a second chance in life and I’m going to get something good out of it. I want to fight for these poor victims who lost someone in a tragic accident because of a drunk driver,” Alvarez said.