A California mother is accused of driving under the influence and speeding when she crashed her car, killing her two young children, authorities said.
Yesica Barajas, 31, was driving a 2006 Nissan sedan when she lost control while exiting Highway 29 in Napa and slammed into a tree at high speed just before 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to ABC 7.
Her two children, 10-year-old Damien Montanez and 9-year-old Aaliyah Montanez, were pronounced dead at the scene. Barajas suffered major injuries and was transported to Queen of the Valley Hospital, where she was later charged on suspicion of DUI.
The California Highway Patrol said Monday that alcohol, drugs, and speed were believed to have contributed to the crash.
“A lot is going into this,” CHP Sgt. Andrew Barclay told ABC 7, noting that the investigation remains ongoing.
Barajas will remain in CHP custody until she is medically cleared to be transferred to the Napa County Jail. Her bail has been set at $500,000, records show.
“A tragic situation is made even more tragic, the fact that two young kids lost their lives due to the decision of someone else to drive impaired, that’s a hard thing to get past,” Barclay said.
The community is mourning the loss of the two children. Gabriel Cardenas, who placed flowers at the crash site, told ABC 7 their deaths are a “total tragedy.”
“I just felt horrible for the kids because at that time of the morning, kids should be being normal kids, watching cartoons with their bowl of cereal,” Cardenas said.
Family friend Angela Villasenor told KRON4 that the family is in shock. “Everybody is still in shock,” she said. “No one is prepared for something like this to happen.”
Villasenor, who set up a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses, described the siblings as “sweet, loving, full-of-life kids” who “touched everyone they met.”
“They were always helpful and loved camping in Lake Tahoe, where they often went with their grandparents, Lilia and Enrique,” she wrote.
Damien and Aaliyah were students in the Napa Valley Unified School District.
