RIVERSIDE — Felony charges are expected to be filed against a 19-year-old man suspected of killing his passenger in a fiery crash on the Pomona (60) Freeway that was caused by the motorist’s alleged drunken driving.
Angel Baby Cruz of Riverside was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside over the weekend on suspicion of second-degree murder and DUI resulting in great bodily injury.
Cruz is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
His case was under review Tuesday by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the California Highway Patrol, shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday, the suspect was at the wheel of a Mercedes 300 going westbound on the 60 when the sedan went out of control and slammed into the center divider wall between La Rue Street and Rubidoux Boulevard in Jurupa Valley.
“The vehicle then went across all lanes and struck a tree,” Officer Javier Navarro said. “The vehicle became fully engulfed by fire.”
Good Samaritans stopped and went to aid Cruz and his front-seat passenger, a young man whose identity was not immediately released.
Navarro said they managed to pull Cruz to safety but couldn’t get to the victim, who was unconscious, before the Mercedes was consumed by the blaze.
“After the Riverside County Fire Department put out the flames, the body was located in the front seat,” the CHP spokesman said. “He was confirmed deceased.”
No one else had been in the car. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Cruz was taken to a hospital for treatment of unspecified minor injuries, at which point he was also determined to be intoxicated, Navarro alleged.
The young man was taken into custody without incident. After a brief hospitalization, he was cleared for booking into the downtown jail.
