Man charged with killing 14-year-old girl in Newport Beach DUI crash

A drunken driving suspect accused of killing a 14-year-old girl in Newport Beach was charged with murder on Wednesday.

The suspect was identified as Joseph Alcazar, 30, of Fontana, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The victim was Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley, 14, of Rialto.

The accident occurred on Saturday, May 25, near Balboa Boulevard and Palm Street at around 6:49 p.m., about one block from the Balboa Fun Zone.

The girl was crossing the street on E. Balboa Boulevard with two other people at the time, Newport Beach police said.

An oncoming driver stopped to allow the group of pedestrians to cross the street, but Alcazar decided to drive around the stopped car and continue down the street, hitting Smiley as she was walking and also running over the foot of a 13-year-old girl, officials said.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene of the accident, where Smiley was confirmed dead.

Investigators determined that Alcazar’s 8-year-old daughter and another man were in his car at the time of the fatal crash. He was reportedly driving with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Alcazar had previously been convicted of two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, one of them in connection with a traffic accident in which he was seriously injured, police said.

He was arrested at the scene and charged on Wednesday with:

• One count of murder
• One count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing grievous bodily harm with two previous convictions
• One count of driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more and two previous convictions
• An offence of intentional endangerment of a child

“A 14-year-old girl who was living the California dream, enjoying a day of sun and sand at the beach with friends to ring in the start of summer, has died because of the selfish decision of a stranger,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “A repeat drunk driver not only took the life of a little girl, but also endangered that of his own daughter by getting behind the wheel while drunk, traumatizing her and the other young girls who saw him hit and kill a teenager. Instead of a summer full of memories with their daughter, Rosenda Smiley’s family must now live with the harsh reality that the only memories they will ever have are those that fit into the short fourteen years of her young life.”

If convicted on all counts, Alcazar faces up to 15 years to life in prison plus six years in prison.