Murder charge filed against Santa Maria man after DUI crash in Nipomo

Jan. 24--Felony DUI and murder charges have been filed against a Santa Maria man accused of driving the wrong way before colliding with another vehicle and killing a passenger in Nipomo on Dec. 1.

Edgar Saul Rojas Morales, 23, is facing the following counts, filed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office: murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence causing injury with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher.

Attached to his charges are additional special allegations of inflicting great bodily injury against two victims also from Santa Maria: Maricela Marquez, 55, and her passenger Maria Medina, 83. Marquez suffered minor injuries while Medina died as a result of the injuries she sustained from the crash.

Morales is also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license for a prior DUI conviction and driving without proper insurance, according to the complaint sheet filed Jan. 16.

Due to his previous DUI conviction in another county, the District Attorney's Office was able to charge Morales with murder under the Watson Murder Rule.

In California, if a defendant has been convicted of a DUI in the past, then accused of causing the death of another individual in a DUI-related crash, the defendant can be charged with murder.

The charges come over a month after the crash occurred, as Morales was also seriously injured during the incident and had to receive medical treatment for a period of time, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Upon his release from a medical facility, Morales was arrested by authorities Jan. 14, and his felony case was filed Jan. 16, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Morales has since pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all special allegations filed against him. He is set to return to San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on Jan. 28 to set a preliminary hearing date.

Morales' charges stem from a crash that occurred in Nipomo at 10:30 p.m. Dec. 1 near the intersection of South Thompson and Rancho roads, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Morales was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Thompson Avenue just south of Knotts Street when his Honda Accord allegedly collided with a BMW X5 driven by Marquez, according to the CHP. Inside Marquez's BMW was passenger Medina.

Both Marquez and Medina were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Morales, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered major injuries and was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center.

If convicted on all charges, Morales would face 15 years to life in state prison.

Gina Kim covers crime and courts for Santa Maria Times. Follow her on Twitter @gina_k210

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