7-Year-Old Dies In DUI Crash On PCH

A woman was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI in connection with a crash on northbound Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu that killed her 7-year-old son and injured two other passengers on Wednesday night, according to the Ventura County Star.

Latoya Najar, 34, of Camarillo, was driving north on PCH toward Las Posas Road with three of her children and another adult when the car left the roadway, struck a tree and hit a concrete wall alongside the roadway, California Highway Patrol reported.

The car was only equipped with four seat belts. Authorities pronounced Najar’s 7-year-old son dead at the scene and believe he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Najar was arrested on suspicion of felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony DUI causing injury and felony child endangerment and taken to Ventura County Medical Center for chemical testing after showing signs of intoxication at the scene. She was then booked into Ventura County jail. 

A 33-year-old woman suffered multiple fractures and facial injuries and was taken to Ventura County Medical Center along with a 12-year-old boy who had a broken arm. A 9-year-old boy was not injured.

Najar is being held on a $50,000 bond. She has two citations from the CHP for excessive speed, one from June 2007 and the other from May 2014, according to the Ventura County Superior Court records. 

Najar is due in court on Friday, Aug. 15 at 1:30 p.m.