Orange County prosecutors charged a Fontana man who has previous drunken driving convictions with murder Wednesday, four days after a Memorial Day weekend accident on the Balboa Peninsula that killed a 14-year-old girl as she tried to cross a busy street.
Joseph Alcazar, 30, was charged with crimes including murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing great bodily injury with two previous prior convictions; driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC of 0.08 or higher with two previous prior convictions; and a misdemeanor count of willful endangerment of a child, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
On Saturday, the victim, 14-year-old Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley of Rialto, was crossing Balboa Boulevard, west of Palm Street, with two other people against the don’t walk sign, the district attorney’s office said.
A driver stopped to let the group cross. But Alcazar, who was in the vehicle behind that drive, allegedly drove around the stopped car and struck Smiley while also running over a 13-year-old girl’s foot.
Smiley was pronounced dead at the scene.
“A 14-year-old girl living the California dream enjoying a day of sun and sand at the beach with friends to kick off the beginning of summer is dead because of the selfish decision of a stranger,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “A repeat drunk driver not only took the life of a little girl, but he also endangered the life of his own daughter by getting behind the wheel after drinking and traumatized her and the other young girls who witnessed him 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 was previously convicted twice of drive under the influence, including one collision that left him with serious injuries. Information including the date and location of the previous convictions was not immediately available.
He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to…
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