Grace Coleman Released From Hospital, Booked On Murder Charges In Newport Beach Crash That Killed Santa Ana Couple
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — The Orange County District Attorney released a new booking photo Monday of Grace Elizabeth Coleman, who has been charged with murder in connection with a DUI crash that killed a Santa Ana couple and injured their three daughters.
Coleman, 22, was arrested after police say she left the Dec. 8 crash on foot. She was booked Friday after being released from the hospital.
Police say Coleman had a blood alcohol concentration of more than .20 when she ran a red light immediately before the crash on a dark and steep Newport Coast Drive. Her Range Rover collided with a family of five in a Hyundai.
Henry Eduardo Saldana-Mejia, 27, of Santa Ana and his wife, 29-year-old Gabriela Andrade, were pronounced dead at the scene. The couple's three young daughters, ranging in age from 1 year old to 5 years old – each suffered broken bones and were hospitalized.
The couple's family said Saldana-Mejia had been working at the nearby Pelican Hill resort in housekeeping, and was on their way to pick up his last paycheck.
Coleman is being held without bail, and is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Dec. 22.