A 36-year-old man suspected of drunk driving and causing a crash that killed three women in Pomona was charged Tuesday with three counts of murder and a single count of DUI causing bodily injury.
Los Angeles District Attorney, George Gascón, said Victor Siharath may face life in prison if found guilty. He is being held without bail.
During the afternoon press conference, Gascón said Siharath sped through a red light “well above the speed limit of 35 mph” when he crashed into a vehicle with five people that were returning from a baby shower.
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. Also killed, was the driver of the car, Lorena Morales, 58, of Montclair, Gascón said.
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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.
The crash occurred about 11 p.m. Saturday at White Avenue and Phillips Boulevard, the Pomona Police Department reported.
Paramedics dispatched to the location reported two women dead at the scene. They rushed three other people to a hospital, where another woman died from her injuries. Two others suffered moderate to severe injuries.
Police contacted Victor Siharath, the lone occupant inside the SUV at the crash scene and “determined he was driving while impaired,” according to a police statement. The 36-year-old Pomona resident was arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving.
Pomona police urged anyone with any information regarding the crash to call them at 909-620-2048.
