Nephew of victim in alleged Pomona DUI crash speaks out: ‘I wanted her to see me grow up’

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) — An 11-year-old boy is mourning his aunt who was one of three women killed when an alleged DUI driver crashed into their car at a Pomona intersection over the weekend.

Yesenia (Ochoa) Olaez, 33, was in the process adopting her nephew, Brian Gonzalez.

The 11-year-old spoke at a vigil Sunday about how much he was looking forward to being raised by his aunt and getting out of the foster-care system.

“She was a loving mother,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like her time was way too short. Although I do know she died peacefully and she died loving me. I wanted her to see me grow up.”

Yesenia’s boyfriend now says he is going to fight for custody of Gonzalez.

The violent high-speed crash happened Saturday around 11 p.m. at White Avenue and Phillips Boulevard as Yesenia and four others were coming home from a baby shower.

The driver of the SUV that slammed into their vehicle, identified as Victor Siharath, 36, of Pomona, was arrested for felony DUI. His bail has been set at $430,000.

Witnesses reported seeing him run a red light right before the collision.

The other victims who died were identified by family members as Lorena Morales, who was driving the vehicle, and Alejandra Olaez, 33.

Juan Manuel “Jaime” Garcia, was the front-seat passenger and the husband of Lorena Morales. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

In the backseat was Noemi Olaez, the daughter of Alejandra. The 12-year-old girl was also hospitalized in the intensive-care unit.

A GoFundMe has been established to help the family of Yesenia Olaez.

Another GoFundMe is set up to help the family of Alejandra Olaez.

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.