| For Immediate Release Case # TBA
December 30, 2008 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
DRIVER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR MURDERING
29-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN HEAD-ON CRASH WHILE DRIVING ON WRONG SIDE OF THE FREEWAY UNDERTHE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
FULLERTON – A driver under the influence of alcohol has been charged with murdering a woman in a head-on crash while driving on the wrong side of the freeway. Angel Herrera Leal, 28, Los Angeles, is charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement allegation for having a blood alcohol level over .20 percent. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted. Leal is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned today, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. at the North Justice Center in Fullerton. The Department is to be determined.
At approximately 4:45 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2008, Leal is accused of driving several miles on the wrong side of the Interstate 5 Freeway in Anaheim near Disney Way. He is accused of having a blood alcohol level of .29 percent. Several drivers on the freeway had to avoid Leal’s car and called 9-1-1 to report that he was driving northbound in the southbound lanes. Leal is accused of crashing his pick-up truck head-on into an oncoming Toyota Corolla, driven by 29-year-old Jisun Park. Park is accused of having a blood alcohol level of .12 percent at the time of the crash. She was cited for driving under the influence and a criminal case against her is under investigation.
Both cars involved in the crash spun and came to a stop on the freeway. Park’s passenger, 29-year-old Rebecca Moon, suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was killed. Park was transported to the University of California, Irvine Medical Center for injuries to her abdomen.
Leal is accused of having two prior convictions for driving under the influence in 2005 and 2007 and was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash. The defendant had completed alcohol education courses in Los Angeles County and was informed of the danger of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was advised that he could be charged with murder if he killed someone while driving under the influence.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Contreras at (714)347-8492. Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
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