san fernando valley

Mother Booked on Murder Charge in Head-On Crash That Killed Baby Boy

The SUV crossed into oncoming traffic on Nordhoff Street, slamming head-on into a car and leaving two other children hospitalized.

A cracked windshield on a white SUV after a crash
RMG

After a 4-month-old baby boy was killed and two other children hospitalized following a crash, the children's mother was booked on a murder charge into Van Nuys Valley Jail. She was suspected of driving drunk.

The head-on crash was reported at about midnight Monday in the 15200 block of West Nordhoff Street in the west San Fernando Valley community. A white sport utility vehicle driven by the children's mother, later identified as Irlanda Sanchez, 23, crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a black SUV, police said.

Two other children were also in the hospital after the crash, which officers say was caused by the mother's drunken driving. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on March 10, 2020.

The white SUV then crashed into parked cars, police said.

Sanchez was accused of being behind the wheel of the white SUV, traveling with her three children -- two 4-month-old twins and a toddler -- who were hospitalized in the crash, police said. Jacob Sanchez, one of the twins, later died at the hospital.

The 4-month-old twin girl and the 2-year-old were in critical condition that evening. They were later listed as having severe to moderate injuries.

The initial investigation indicated the children might not have been properly secured in their car seats, police said.

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The driver of the black SUV was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of murder and DUI. She remained jailed Thursday.

Her bail was set at $2 million.

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