Recently in Under 21 DUIs Category

It is safe to say that 18-year-old Francisco Jesus Ochoa should not have been driving Friday morning. The unlicensed, uninsured teen was reportedly under the influence of drugs during a fatal Ortega Highway crash, reports The Orange County Register.

The Lake Elsinore teen was arrested and charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, one misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a valid license, and an infraction for failing to maintain liability insurance.

Los Angeles authorities can pull you over for exhibiting the subtle tell-tale signs of intoxication, such as swerving, speeding, or even driving too slowly. Ramming your car into a sheriff's deputy's vehicle, however, is a not-so-subtle sign that you may be intoxicated and will definitely lead to an investigation.

An alleged underage drunk driver is under arrest after reportedly ramming into a cruiser and seriously injuring a sheriff's deputy in a Palmdale DUI crash, reports CBS Los Angeles.

The teenage suspect in the Irvine Lake crash that killed one and injured five is under arrest on suspicion of manslaughter and driving under the influence, reports The Orange County Register.

The unknown 18-year-old driver was allegedly speeding in a Subaru Legacy with six other passengers when he lost control and smashed into a tree near Irvine Lake early Sunday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for former and current Disney stars and their DUI troubles.

Shelby Cobra, ex-member of the now-defunct Disney girl group KSM, received her DUI sentence on October 13 for driving with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15 percent in September, reports The Post Chronicle. The 18-year-old singer, whose real name is Shelby Spalione, must complete community service at the Los Angeles County Hospital and Morgue program and a three-month alcohol education program, attend 16 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and pay more $1,000 in fees.

Teaching your teenage children how to drive can be a nerve-wracking experience for Los Angeles parents. Motor vehicle crashes remain the primary cause of death for adolescents, and 35 percent of those fatalities are alcohol-related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Luckily, this week is National Teen Driver Safety Week, and this year’s theme is supporting parents in teaching their teens to drive safely, according to Business Wire.

The nationally-recognized week was established in 2007 to provide information and tools to keep teen drivers safe. Teens are reportedly involved in more than 15 fatal car crashes a day. “Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of teens, and October continues to be the most dangerous month for teen driver crashes,” said Emily Clark, a public affairs specialist for State Farm.

Anaheim police believe two pedestrians were struck and killed near Disneyland by a suspected underage DUI driver, reports The Orange County Register.

The incident, which occurred early Saturday morning, involved a man and a woman who were walking in a crosswalk on South Harbor Boulevard near Disney Way. They were struck by a Chevrolet Astro van and reportedly died at the scene. When police arrived, a boy under the age of 18 allegedly admitted to driving the van. Although a witness reported other passengers present at the time of the incident, they allegedly fled before authorities arrived.

Many people in the Huntington Beach community still haven’t forgotten about the mysterious deaths of 15-year-old Aaron Saenz and 16-year-old Chelsea Taylor. KTLA News reported that the two teenagers were found dead on January 21 in a vacant apartment on Huntington Village Lane. Police officers found an empty can of Four Loko inside of the apartment, leaving many people to believe that Taylor and Saenz had died of a Four Loko overdose.

Now it looks like the mystery of the two teenage deaths has been solved. An Orange County coroner has determined that they both died from an accidental drug overdose.

Leann Renee Arriaga celebrated her 21st birthday on Saturday. But just a few days before this celebratory day, Arriaga was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Santa Ana. KTLA News reported that police saw the driver run through a red light at First Street and Harbor Boulevard, which prompted law enforcers to pull the vehicle over and interrogate Arriaga.

Some people might say that it is rather unfortunate to be arrested for DUI just before your 21st birthday, especially since the penalties for an under-21 DUI are much more severe than the penalties of a typical misdemeanor DUI for adults of the legal drinking age. However, it looks like Arriaga clearly shouldn’t have been driving based on some pieces of reported evidence.

Drunk driving accidents can cause death or injury to innocent people. In such cases, the DUI suspect will often face felony drunk driving charges rather than the typical misdemeanor driving under the influence charge. A felony DUI conviction can lead to serious penalties including a sentence consisting of more than one year in state prison.

KTLA News reported that 19-year-old Jaclyn Garcia from Torrance was recently arrested on suspicion of felony DUI after allegedly driving through a group of 10 to 12 cyclists on Camino de Encanto. The crash occurred on April 3 near a popular cycling loop around the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (home to the USC Trojans football team) will likely be facing penalties for violation of an alcoholic license. The Los Angeles Times reports that the penalties for such a violation can range from a warning letter or fine to the suspension or revocation of an alcohol license.

The allegations against the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum come after The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control found through an investigation that the Coliseum allegedly allowed consumption and sales of alcohol outside of its licensed area. Multiple violations apparently occurred last year at the Electric Daisy Carnival rave. The neighboring Sports Arena is also facing similar accusations. A full report of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control violations can be found on the L.A Times website.