LONG BEACH (CNS) - A man who allegedly drove drunk on Halloween night and ran down a Long Beach couple and their 3-year-old son was charged today with three counts each of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Carlo Adrian Navarro, 20, is expected to be arraigned on the charges at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Long Beach.
He is accused in the deaths of Joseph Awaida, 30, Raihan Dakhil Awaida, 32, and their son, Omar. They were struck around 9:55 p.m. Oct. 31 in the area of Country Club Drive and Los Cerritos Park Place.
Joseph Awaida died that night. Omar died Nov. 2, and his mother died the following day.
According to Long Beach police, Navarro was driving a 2002 Toyota Sequoia southbound on Country Club Drive and failed to make a turn. Instead, he drove onto the sidewalk and hit the family as they were walking home after a night of trick-or-treating, authorities said.
Navarro was arrested at the scene but was later released on $100,000 bail. He was rearrested the following week on an unrelated burglary case.
He faces 45 years to life in prison if convicted, according to the District Attorney's Office.
A GoFundMe page set up on behalf of the Awaida family has raised more than $230,000. A candlelight vigil in support of the family was held last week at Los Cerritos Park in Long Beach.