Shocking Police Report: Calif. Mother Arrested After DUI Crash Kills Her Two Children
In a tragic twist of poor judgment and devastating consequences, Yesica Barajas, a 31-year-old California mother, has been arrested for driving under the influence after a crash that claimed the lives of her two young children. The incident occurred on March 16 around 7:30 a.m. on Highway 29 in Napa, where Barajas allegedly lost control of her black Nissan while exiting the highway at high speed, crashing into a tree. Her children, 10-year-old Damian Montanez and 9-year-old Aaliyah Montanez, were pronounced dead at the scene. Barajas, who sustained injuries, is now facing charges of DUI causing injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and is being held on $500,000 bail.
The Napa County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol confirmed the grim details, with CHP Sargent Andrew Barclay calling it a “tragic situation made even more tragic” by the loss of two young lives. The Montanez siblings, described by their family as “sweet, loving, full of life kids,” were students in the Napa Valley Unified School District, which has since offered counseling and support to grieving students and staff. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover funeral expenses, with the family sharing heartfelt memories of the children’s love for camping in Lake Tahoe with their grandparents.
This case is a stark reminder of the irreversible consequences of impaired driving. Barajas’ alleged decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated not only ended the lives of her children but also left a community grappling with grief and outrage. The investigation is ongoing, and Barajas is expected to face multiple felony charges once she is released from medical treatment.
It’s hard to fathom how someone could prioritize a reckless decision over the safety of their own children, but here we are, once again, witnessing the fallout of preventable tragedies.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, NBC Bay Area, KABC-TV, KTVU
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