Nov. 04--The suspected driver in a hit-and-run crash in Santa Ana that killed three girls on Halloween night was charged Tuesday with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, prosecutors announced.
Jaquinn Bell, 31, of Orange, was also charged with misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and sentencing enhancements of inflicting great bodily injury and fleeing the scene of a crime after committing manslaughter.
If convicted, Bell faces as long as 17 years in prison and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.
Police said that Bell was driving with his two teen children when he struck twin sisters Lexia and Lexandra Perez and their friend Andrea Gonzales. The girls, who were crossing the road at Old Grand Street and Fairhaven Avenue at about 6:45 p.m., died at the scene.
Investigators said they later found the suspected car, a Honda CR-V, abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby Big Lots store.
Bell was arrested Sunday outside a Motel 6 in Stanton.
Santa Ana police said they initially detained Bell's mother and half-sister as well as his two children in connection with the incident but subsequently released everyone but Bell.
Bell's criminal record dates to at least 2009, and court records show his probation has been revoked seven times since then.
His arraignment was postponed Tuesday to Dec. 16.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.
UPDATE
2:01 p.m.: This post was updated to reflect that Bell's arraignment was postponed.
This story was originally published at 1:10 p.m.
.jpg?w=600)
