A Rialto accident claimed the lives of two toddlers aged 3 and 4. Now, the Rialto Police Department revealed that they have arrested 28-year-old Alexis Garcia of Buellton in connection to the accident.
According to the reports, 28-year-old Alexis Garcia was driving a Ram truck when he hit a Honda Accord that was pushed into a tow truck, causing a fatal crash. The Honda was being driven by a 24-year-old mother named Valencia Avilez who is reportedly unharmed. In the passenger seat was the 25-year-old father Marky Flores who was critically injured and the two toddlers in the backseat, unfortunately, lost their lives in the Rialto accident.
According to Seargent Daniel Smith of the Rialto police department, the crash happened just after 11 p.m. at Walnut and Riverside Avenues. As reported by ABC News, the toddlers have been identified as Alinah 3, and Neveah, 4 by the family members.
What caused the Rialto accident that claimed the lives of two toddlers?
The two young girls were reportedly traveling with their parents in a white Honda Accord, according to authorities. A Dodge Ram pickup truck, driven south on Riverside by an intoxicated Alexis Garcia, ran a red light and collided with the side of the Honda as the Accord turned left onto Walnut Avenue. The impact of the crash led the vehicle to spin and crash into a tow truck, according to reports.
Sadly, both of the girls who were in the back seat at the time died instantly. One of the kids was thrown out of the car. The mother, Avilez, remained unharmed, but the father, Flores, is likely to recover from moderate injuries.
According to police reports, Alexis Garcia, the driver of the Ram truck was intoxicated. Liza Avilez, Valencia Avilez's stepmother, sharply condemned drink-and-drive incidents. She said:
“I’m lost for words. I just had them two weeks ago. I just went out and bought Christmas clothes for them … I’m angry. I’m angry. People do not need to be driving drunk... How many fatalities is it going to take? He just took two innocent children’s lives, and now my daughter is a mess.”
What was Alexis Garcia charged with after the Rialto accident?
After the crash, Alexis Garcia also attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by the police just a quarter mile away.
According to KTLA news, Alexis Garcia is facing two charges of murder, one charge of DUI, and one charge of felony hit-and-run. He will be arrested once he is discharged from the hospital. He was not listed in any recent jail records.
KTLA’s Shelby Nelson spoke with Lisa Avilez on Monday at the crash site, where family members and friends had gathered to create a memorial with flowers and candles.
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By 5 p.m. Monday, authorities reported that Alexis Garcia was still hospitalized with injuries from the crash. The girls' father remains in the hospital as well and is undergoing surgery.
The tow truck driver was unharmed in the incident. Garcia had a passenger in his truck, but it remains unclear whether that individual was also taken into custody.
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