Angel Baby Cruz of Riverside was arrested last year following a California Highway Patrol investigation into the deadly wreck.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst found there was sufficient evidence to bound Cruz over for trial on the murder count, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing a felony offense while on bail.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 27 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Cruz remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to the CHP, shortly before 5 a.m. April 26, 2025, the defendant 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.

“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 help Cruz and his front-seat passenger, a young man identified in court documents only as “D.G.”

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.

No one else had been in the car. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Cruz underwent treatment at a Riverside hospital for unspecified minor injuries, at which point he was also determined to be intoxicated, Navarro alleged.

The defendant was formally taken into custody without incident. After a brief hospitalization, he was cleared for booking into the downtown Riverside jail.

Cruz has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County. There were no details available concerning the circumstances of his prior arrest, or how long he had been on bond leading up to the fatal crash.

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The crash occurred on the northbound 215 freeway near Eucalyptus Avenue around 7:30 p.m., KABC reported.

The circumstances of what caused the crash were not immediately available, but two adults and two infants were left trapped in the wreck, NBC4 reported. One person died but it was not immediately clear if they were an adult or child, the station reported.

The Riverside Fire Department responded to the scene and took multiple people to the hospital, including one minor to a trauma center, according to KCBS.

First-responders used the jaws of life to free the vehicle’s passengers, according to media reports.

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“Derek Holt was a Hemet Water Distribution Operator killed in a suspected DUI crash on Acacia Avenue near Kirby Street on December 5.

He was 40 years old, and a single father, according to the GoFundMe established in his name.

“Derek was a devoted single father, the sole provider for his beloved son. In this incredibly difficult time, all contributions will go directly to supporting Derek’s family, ensuring they have the assistance they need now and in the years ahead,” GoFundMe sponsor T. Holyoak wrote.

Thus far, the fundraiser has raised nearly $5,000 of the $50,000 they hope to attain for Holt’s son and family.

“Any help, no matter how small, will be deeply appreciated as we come together to honor his memory and support his loved ones through this unimaginable hardship,” Holyoak wrote. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.”

To support the fundraiser, visit Derek Holt’s page at www.gofundme.com.

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SAN JACINTO, CA — A woman killed in a four-vehicle crash in San Jacinto that injured a total of five people was identified Friday as a 36-year- old resident of the city.

Venus Angel Aguilar was fatally injured shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday in the collision near the intersection of the Ramona Expressway and San Jacinto Avenue, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Sgt. Patrick Lynch said the vehicle the victim was in, along with three others, impacted for reasons still under investigation, leaving all of them “heavily damaged.”

County fire crews reached the location within minutes and immediately set up a triage and initiated an extrication operation because two of the victims had to be pulled from the wreckage, officials said.

Aguilar was one of the trapped parties and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the fire department, two people were seriously injured, while two others suffered minor injuries. All were taken to a regional trauma center for treatment.

Three other people were evaluated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

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File # LA222660069

Details:

On Friday, September 23, 2022, La Quinta deputies responded to a major injury traffic collision involving a golf cart just before 8:30 pm. The collision occurred on Shoal Creek Street, south of Riviera Street within the PGA West community in the city of La Quinta. One person was transported to a local hospital with major injuries. The cause of the traffic collision is still under investigation. At this time, deputies do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.

Anyone with information on this collision is encouraged to call Deputy Yoo of the Thermal Sheriff’s Station by calling (760) 863-8990.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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Ap Briefs

A small plane crashed into the backyard of a Southern California home on Tuesday and the pilot was hospitalized with critical burn injuries, authorities said.

The fiery crash happened around 9:35 a.m. in the city of Hemet, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

The pilot, the plane’s sole occupant, was driven to a nearby hospital and later flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s burn unit in critical condition, officials said.

Eugene Barron, who lives next door, said he and another neighbor used a garden hose to douse the fire. He said the pilot was conscious and speaking after being consumed by flames.

“I just pray that he lives because he was … covered in fire,” Barron told CBS Los Angeles.

Two people who were in the house were unharmed, Fire Chief Eddie Sell said.

The Beechcraft 77 appeared to have crashed through a cinder-block wall and into the backyard, according to TV news images.

The cause of the crash was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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File # I220850087

Details:

On March 26, 2022, about 6:27 PM, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, San Jacinto Station, responded to the report of a major-injury traffic collision on Lake Park Drive, south of Soboba Road, in the city of San Jacinto. Deputies arrived on-scene and located a male subject who was riding a bicycle and collided into a black Honda Civic. The male subject was alive, but unresponsive and transported to a local hospital for major injuries. The driver of the Honda was not injured and remained on scene to cooperate with the investigation.

The San Jacinto Sheriff’s Department Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. The investigation revealed the subject was riding a bicycle in the number two lane of southbound Lake Park Drive as the Honda was traveling within the number one lane of southbound Lake Park Drive. As the Honda passed the bicyclist, the bicyclist veered into the number one lane, colliding into the passenger side of the Honda, causing the subject to fall off the bicycle. The driver of the Honda stopped immediately to render aid to the bicyclist and contact law enforcement. It is unknow if alcohol or drugs were a factor in this collision. The identity of the involved parties will not be released at this time.

The traffic collision investigation required the temporary closure of Lake Park Drive.

Anyone who witnessed the traffic collision or has any information about this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Ray Cortez of the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station at 951-654-2702 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 951-776-1099.

Persons who wish to report criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous can call crime stoppers at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463) or 800-47-DRUGS (800-473-7847).

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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The Riverside County Fire Department responded on the crash around 1:24 p.m. in the area of Juniper Flats Road and Highway 74.

Upon arrival, they located two children with significant injuries from the crash.

Afterwards, a medical helicopter arrived to transport one of the juveniles to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, the other child with moderate injuries was transported with a ground ambulance.

At this time, the circumstances surrounding the rollover crash remain unclear.

Homeland Officials are investigating the incident.

When involved in a serious rollover crash, reach out to the experienced lawyers at Sweet James. With their extensive experience in the legal field, they know what it takes to win your case. Their attorneys and professional legal team have dealt with a variety of cases including personal injury and wrongful death.

Call them at (800) 975-3435 to arrange your free consultation with an experienced legal professional in your area. For your convenience, they are also available through email, text message, and online chat 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Riverside County | Contributed

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The Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the location and assumed the investigation. The preliminary investigation revealed that a silver Toyota Avalon was traveling southbound on Gilman Springs Road at a high rate of speed, south of Alessandro Boulevard. While trying to negotiate a curve, the Toyota Avalon’s driver lost control and the vehicle left the roadway, subsequently colliding with a concrete structure in a nearby field. The driver suffered major injuries and was transported to a local area hospital where he was listed to be in critical condition.

The identity of the driver will not be released pending further investigation.  Alcohol and or drugs were considered to be a suspected factor in the collision.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Greg Berry of the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station at 951-486-8206, or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 951-776-1099.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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The Riverside County coroner’s office Sunday named two 21- year-old women who were killed when their car was rear-ended by a suspected DUI driver at a Hemet intersection.

The crash was reported at about 4 a.m. Saturday, according to the Hemet Police Department.

Investigators said Jesus Rios, 33, of Downey was driving east on Florida Avenue, approaching Kirby Street, in a BMW 535i sedan when he failed to break at the intersection and rear-ended a Honda Fit hatchback stopped at a red traffic signal.

Dane Adkins-Radford, who was riding in the Honda, was pronounced dead at the scene while Emily Hale, also in the Honda, was taken to Riverside University Health System Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries, according to the coroner’s office. Both women were Hemet residents.

A third person in the Honda was seriously injured but is expected to survive, said Sgt. Dan Reinbolt.

Rios was uninjured and allegedly attempted to flee on foot after the crash but was stopped by a witness at the scene, police said.

Rios was eventually arrested and booked into the Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of DUI, two counts of vehicular homicide and attempted hit and run, according to Reinbolt.

He remained jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.

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