Wife Of Alameda Sheriff's Deputy Arrested After Alleged DUI Crash That Killed 3-Year-Old Boy
SAN RAMON (KPIX 5) -- The wife of an Alameda County Sheriff's deputy has been arrested for an alleged DUI after a deadly crash Friday night that left a little boy dead and his mother hospitalized.
The accident happened in San Ramon near the Bollinger Canyon exit on Interstate 680. A family had just pulled their stalled vehicle onto the shoulder of the freeway when a car slammed into them. The impact crushed the car and killed 3-year-old Elijah Dunn.
Elijah would have turned 4 in just two weeks. Now, instead of celebrating his birthday the family is planning his funeral.
"I just had him with me all day yesterday," said grandfather Charles Manoiki Jr. "I was babysitting my grandson. And an hour later, I find out they were in an accident. I'm numb, totally numb."
Manioki's daughter, Crystal Dunn, and his three grandchildren left his Sunnyvale home last night to drive back to their home in San Ramon. They ran out of gas and parked on the shoulder.
The CHP said that's when 39-year-old Yarenit Malihan of Pleasanton crashed into the parked car. CHP officers arrested her for driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. She is the wife of an Alameda County Sheriff's deputy.
Meanwhile, Dunn is at John Muir hospital in stable condition. She suffered a broken bone in her back and six broken ribs. The two other children in the car had minor injuries and have since been released from Oakland Children's Hospital.
Through his own grief, Manoiki said his heart goes out to the sheriff's deputy. "One day I will forgive your wife, but right now I can't," he said.