Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Having an experienced and qualified Los Angeles DUI defense attorney by your side may not seem important. Most DUI cases handle seemingly small matters, such as fines, license suspensions and probation. However, as most Los Angeles DUI lawyers will tell you, these matters aren't small at all, and other issues surrounding DUI cases can be incredibly difficult to deal with.

For example, authorities today identified an 11-month-old girl killed by a suspected drunken driver who is also accused of injuring her 5-year- old sister and their mother in a hit-and-run crash in the Westlake area.

A witness followed the driver from the crash scene at Bonnie Brae Street and Olympic Boulevard shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday and got the car's license plate number, said Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton. Henry Yovanni Moreno, 30, of South Gate, was taken into custody several hours later.

The 11-month-old girl -- identified by the coroner's office as Yudith Ausencio of Los Angeles -- was struck while being pushed in a baby carriage in a marked crosswalk. Her 5-year-old sister, who was walking beside her mother, was critically injured, and the woman was seriously hurt, Bratton told reporters Monday outside the LAPD's downtown headquarters.

"The driver struck them and then drove away, without stopping, leaving a horrible and deadly crime scene," Bratton said.

The DUI investigation used traffic cameras, police dogs and other investigative techniques. When a DUI matter involves any sort of hit-and-run and/or fatalities, the consequences will become severe as the offense turns into a felony.