A girl accused of driving drunk on a Vista freeway simply earlier than a crash that killed two of her youngsters pleaded not responsible Thursday to youngster abuse and DUI counts.
Sandra Ortiz, 33, was arrested following the Father’s Day crash that killed her son, Alan, 10, and daughter, Amy, 16.
Police stated that after a chunk of bags fell from their car at round 6 p.m. Sunday, Ortiz pulled the automobile over to the facet of state Route 78.
The youngsters then entered the freeway so as to retrieve it and have been struck by an oncoming car, police stated. Ortiz and 4 of her different youngsters have been within the automobile when the deadly crash occured.
She was initially arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter whereas intoxicated and was in custody on $500,000 bail, however Vista Superior Court docket Choose Matthew Brower launched Ortiz on supervised recognizance on Thursday.
She should observe plenty of circumstances whereas out of custody, together with prohibitions towards driving and a protecting order signed for her 4 surviving youngsters.
That order will enable her to see the youngsters in particular person whereas attending Alan and Amy’s funeral providers, however in any other case their communications could solely happen over the phone. Brower stated extra contact could be permitted if a household, juvenile, or probate choose points a custody or visitation order permitting such contact.
Deputy District Lawyer Stephanie De Jesus, who requested that bail stay set at $500,000, alleged Ortiz had a blood-alcohol-level of 0.14% – almost twice the authorized restrict of 0.8% – two hours after the crash.
De Jesus alleged that Ortiz doesn’t have a sound driver’s license and that her six youngsters have been using within the automobile “unsecured, with out seatbelts.”
It stays unclear what prompted the youngsters to step onto the freeway. De Jesus said in courtroom that Ortiz didn’t make “any effort to cease the youngsters from exiting the car or to get the youngsters out of the freeway.”
The youngsters’s father, Miguel Aguilar, has informed native information shops that he doesn’t consider Ortiz instructed the youngsters to get out of the automobile.
He informed 10News in an interview, “My spouse liked our children and my spouse would have finished something for them and he or she didn’t go up and inform them to get out of the automobile.”
Through the arraignment, Ortiz wept all through and said, “I’d by no means do something to harm my infants.”
The household has arrange a GoFundMe web page and can maintain a fundraiser in San Marcos Saturday.
– Metropolis Information Service
