Woman’s second DUI ends with death of Perris pedestrian

November 12, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

PERRIS — A Riverside woman, already on probation for a prior DUI, has been charged with first-degree murder and DUI resulting in death, after the allegedly drunk driver lost control of her vehicle and struck several parked cars as well as a pedestrian Saturday evening, Nov. 9.

The deadly crash, which resulted in the woman’s second DUI arrest in two years, happened at San Jacinto Ave. and Dunlap Dr., according to officials.

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Deputies assigned to the city of Perris, along with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and other emergency personnel, responded to the location at 7:15 p.m., after receiving reports of a traffic collision involving several cars and a pedestrian, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Orlando Castañeda reported after the deadly accident.

When officials arrived at the scene they found a vehicle that had crashed into two parked cars and a pedestrian, who had been walking on the eastbound shoulder of San Jacinto Ave. just before being struck.

The pedestrian, who has not yet been publicly identified, was declared deceased at the scene.

Lizbet Diaz, 27, of Riverside, was arrested after losing control of her vehicle and crashing into several parked cars as well as a pedestrian who had been walking along San Jacinto Ave.

During their subsequent investigation deputies learned the driver involved in the crash, later identified as 27-year-old, Lizbet Diaz, had been traveling eastbound on San Jacinto Ave. at a high rate of speed just before crashing into the parked vehicles and pedestrian.

Deputies who investigated the cause of Saturday’s deadly crash determined alcohol was a factor in the collision and arrested Diaz, according to Casteñeda.

After receiving precautionary medical treatment, Diaz was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center, where she remains held without bail.

Riverside Superior Court records indicate Diaz has prior arrests in Riverside County including resisting arrest in February, 2016, as well as an October, 2017 DUI.

Court documents revealed that after Diaz’ 2017 DUI she refused to submit to breath or chemical toxicology tests and was later determined to have a blood alcohol content of higher than .20%; more than twice the legal limit in CA.

After pleading guilty to her DUI-related charges in January, 2018, Diaz was granted 36 months of summary probation and ordered to pay fines and fees of $2,930. To date, she has been making payments of $100 per month and has paid a total of $1,800; with $1,130 remaining due in that case.

The sheriff’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Deputy Kiebach at the Perris Sheriff’s Station by calling (951) 210-1150. Callers can refer to incident file number PE193130078 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.