The Los Angeles Times / Daily Pilot reported recently that a Costa Mesa man with an extensive prior history of drunken driving was arrested for suspicion of DUI and murder after a hit-and-run collision on Saturday, April 10, 2021 along Newport Boulevard that caused the death of a man from Newport Beach.
According to officials with the Costa Mesa Police Department, a Costa Mesa man, 28 years of age, was arrested in connection with a motor vehicle accident that occurred between 3:55 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Saturday, April 10, 2021 along Newport Boulevard, just south of 17th Street in Costa Mesa. He faces one count of felony murder, two charges of felony driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), and assorted misdemeanor charges for the accident, in which a Newport Beach man, 74 years of age, was tragically killed.
The suspect was driving with a female passenger when he allegedly was involved with the collision, and they fled the scene of the accident. The passenger was initially arrested on suspicion of being an accessory, but charges were not ultimately filed.
The suspect has a long history of DUI and traffic offenses, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, including two currently pending cases that involve hit-and-run accidents and/or DUI.
