Driver Accused Of DUI Charged In Death of Fullerton Child: Cops

FULLERTON, CA — A driver who was arrested for driving under the influence and killing a 6-year-old Fullerton girl Saturday was charged with second-degree murder, Wednesday. This was his second DUI offense, according to officials.

Maximino Delgado Lagunas, 52, of Anaheim, was held without bail pending arraignment Wednesday afternoon at the Central Jail in Santa Ana.

Police said his blood-alcohol was measured at .23 percent -- nearly three times the legal limit -- following the Saturday afternoon collision that killed Gracie Aguilar.

"The tot was playing in the 1400 block of Lombard Street when she was hit by the defendant's 1990 Toyota 4Runner about 2:15 p.m.," said Fullerton police Sgt. Jon Radus. "Lagunas was driving east on Gage Avenue when he attempted to turn south onto Lombard Street, but lost control and rumbled onto the sidewalk. He kept going, until the SUV slammed into a parked car on Lombard and came to a stop."

Because he was previously convicted of DUI, Lagunas was charged with murder rather than vehicular manslaughter.

Lagunas pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2015, to driving drunk in Buena Park and was placed on three years of informal probation. He had a blood- alcohol level three times higher than the legal limit of .08 percent, according to court records.

As part of his sentence, Lagunas completed a nine-month DUI program. When he entered his guilty plea, he was warned that he could face a charge of murder instead of voluntary manslaughter if he was involved in a deadly drunken driving crash, court records show.

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