DA to Pursue Murder Charges in Hit and Run Death Woman and Grandchild

A young man accused in a hit-and-run crash in Irvine that killed a 54-year-old woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter had charges against him upgraded today from manslaughter to murder.

Alec Scott Abraham, 20, of Costa Mesa, was initially charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run causing death, reckless driving with bodily injury and a misdemeanor count of petty theft.

Those charges were replaced with two murder counts. Deputy District Attorney Stephen Cornwell declined to say specifically why, but attributed the revision to new scientific evidence and witness information.

A message left with Abraham’s attorney, Gary Pohlson, was not immediately returned.

Abraham’s arraignment was rescheduled to July 8.

Katherine Hampton, 54, of Lake Forest, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 9 p.m. June 10 on Alton Parkway at Barranca Parkway. Her granddaughter, Kaydence Hampton, died June 14.

The girl’s 7-year-old brother suffered a broken collarbone, and his 28- year-old mother was treated for a jaw fracture.

According to Cornwell, Abraham was driving a Ford Mustang west on Alton Parkway and ran a red light, slamming into the driver’s side of a Chevrolet Cruze driven by Katherine Hampton.

The vehicles then struck a Honda Civic that was stopped at the intersection. The 44-year-old woman driving that car was treated at a hospital and has since been released.

Abraham is believed to have switched lanes at the intersection to get around another vehicle so he could beat the red light, Cornwell said.

Shortly after the crash, Abraham approached a bystander and asked to use a cell phone, then ran from the scene with the phone, the prosecutor said.

Abraham has racked up several traffic citations over the past year, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

He was ticketed Jan. 3 for driving at an unsafe speed for prevailing conditions by parks and recreation personnel. On May 23, he was cited by the California Highway Patrol for driving 80 miles per hour on the San Diego (405) Freeway in Fountain Valley.

Irvine police ticketed Abraham in July of last year for straddling or making an unsafe lane change. He also got a ticket last November for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, but the ticket was tossed out when the officer failed to show up for court.

City News Service