Local woman arrested for DUI and child endangerment after Fall River Mills crash injures elderly victim

FALL RIVER MILLS, Calif., — A two-vehicle traffic collision in the Intermountain area town of Fall River Mills led to the arrest of a local woman Wednesday, Jan. 26. The crash, which sent an elderly woman to the hospital, happened on SR-299E near Rays Food Place.

The allegedly intoxicated driver had a 5-year-old child in the vehicle with her at the time of the crash, and in addition to DUI resulting in great bodily injury, she faces charges of child endangerment and driving on a suspended license.

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California Highway Patrol and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene around 2:17 p.m. after receiving reports of a major injury collision involving two vehicles, according to a CHP incident log.

One of two vehicles is seen blocking the center divider of SR-299E in Fall River Mills after a DUI-related collision led to the arrest of one woman and hospitalization of another. A child inside one of the vehicles was reportedly uninjured in the collision. Amber Robertson photo

A deputy who was one of the first to arrive at the scene reported finding one vehicle, described as a Dodge Charger, blocking the westbound turn lane. The other involved vehicle, described as a white Ford Excursion, was found in the Rays Food Place parking lot. 

An elderly woman from one of the vehicles sustained significant injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to the nearby Mayers Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The other driver, 24-year-old Sativa Marie Malecke, and her passenger, described only as a 5-year-old girl, were uninjured in the collision.

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During their subsequent investigation, CHP determined Malecke was intoxicated and she was arrested at the scene. She was later transported to Shasta County Jail in Redding, where she was booked on suspicion of DUI resulting in great bodily injuries, child endangerment likely to result in great bodily injury, and driving on a suspended license.

Online jail records indicate she remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail or bond.

No details as to what may have led to the collision were immediately available and CHP’s investigation is continuing.



Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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 30 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 18 grandchildren.