East Hollywood Woman Pleads In Texting and Driving Death

LOS ANGELES, CA — An East Hollywood woman, who struck and killed a 65- year-old man while texting and driving pleaded no contest Monday to vehicular manslaughter in a plea deal, the district attorney's office announced Tuesday.

Rosario Maximilia Valdezinda, 39, faced up to six years in prison prior to her plea deal. She entered her plea just a day before her trial was scheduled to start., and her officials did not release the terms of her plea deal. She faces sentencing Feb. 19.

Valdezinda struck Yong Do Kim of Los Angeles at about 8 p.m. last Jan. 23 near the area of Sixth and Grand View streets. Kim was running across Sixth Street in a marked crosswalk when he was hit by Valdezinda's eastbound vehicle, Los Angeles police said.

"It was determined that Valdezinda was looking at her messages on her cellphone when the collision occurred," according to an LAPD statement that said the motorist remained at the scene and attempted to render aid as required by law.

She was released from custody the same day after posting $50,000 bail.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.