Category: CHP

Retiring CHP Officer Recalls Her ‘Dash’ From Cadet to Assistant Chief

In 1994, 23-year-old Helena Williams arrived at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento determined to become one of a handful of female CHP cadets. When the petite, 5-foot-tall, single mother of a spry 18-month-old boy joined the Academy, she knew she couldn’t achieve her goals alone. Supportive of her ambition, her father and…


Twice-Convicted Drunk Driver Involved in Irvine Fatal Crash

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A twice-convicted drunk driver was arrested Nov. 14 on suspicion of driving under the influence in a crash that killed two people on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Irvine, California. Jorge ErastoCruz, 33, of Lake Forest, was on probation for two DUIs in 2019, according to court records. He was held on a $1…


Twice-Convicted Drunk Driver Charged With Murder in Irvine Fatal Crash

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A twice-convicted drunk driver was charged with murder Nov. 16 for allegedly driving under the influence in a crash that killed two people on the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway in Irvine, California. Jorge ErastoCruz, 33, of Lake Forest, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and a count…


Trial Begins for Man Charged With Murder in Lakeside Jogger’s DUI Death

EL CAJON—A man was driving drunk when his work truck fatally struck a jogger on a Lakeside roadway three years ago, a prosecutor said Oct. 18, while a defense attorney alleged poor visibility on the narrow two-lane road provided her client little opportunity to avoid the collision. Opening statements and testimony began Monday morning in…


Funeral Planned for Boy Killed in Road Rage Shooting

A funeral for six-year-old Aiden Leos, who was killed in a road rage shooting in May, is scheduled for June 5. It’s set to begin at noon at Calvary Chapel in Yorba Linda, Calif., and will only be open to close friends and family, with a viewing set to occur prior to the service. Though…