A man accused of killing three women in a crash over the weekend in Pomona has been charged with murder, authorities announced Tuesday.
Victor Siharath was charged with three counts of murder and one count of felony driving under the influence, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said at a news conference.
The collision occurred Saturday night around 11 p.m. at the intersection of South White Avenue and Phillips Boulevard, according to police. Siharath collided with a car carrying five people who were returning from a baby shower.
Siharath sped through a red light at the intersection and was driving “well above” the speed limit of 35 mph, Gascón said. He had a blood alcohol content of 0.15 — nearly double the legal limit.
Siharath was convicted of DUI in 2014 in San Bernardino County, Gascón said.
Siharath is being held without bail; his arraignment is scheduled for March 28. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
Two women died at the scene of the collision; the other passengers were taken to a nearby hospital, where one woman died, police said. Everyone involved in the crash was “moderately to severely injured,” according to authorities.
The dead were identified as Lorena Morales, 58, of Montclair; Alejandra Olaez, 33, of Pomona; and Yesenia Ochoa, 33, of Pomona.
Ochoa’s cousin Cindy Ramos said Siharath’s vehicle may have been carrying a female passenger.
Gascón confirmed that investigators are looking into whether there was a passenger in Siharath’s vehicle.
Ramos encouraged any witnesses or people with evidence to come forward and help with the investigation.
“We just want justice for our families, for the children that were left behind,” she said. “We really need it right now. We need prayers for the kids, especially, because they’re really going through it.”
Morales was driving the car that was hit; her husband, Juan Manuel “Jaime” Garcia, was sitting in the front passenger side, Gascón said. Olaez’s 12-year-old daughter was in the backseat and was seriously injured.
“My deepest condolences go to the family and the entire community,” Gascón said. “This is a very close-knit family that had been celebrating the anticipation of a new life when tragedy struck.”
This story originally appeared on LA Times
