Oakdale mother faces murder charge after suspected DUI crash that killed her 4-year-old daughter
A month after a Stanislaus County mother was arrested after a suspected DUI crash that killed her young daughter, officials on Friday said they are now charging her with murder.The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office said 26-year-old Juliette Marie Acosta of Oakdale was initially arrested on a DUI charge for the March 8 crash. She was allegedly driving southbound on Alberg Road when she sideswiped a telephone pole and crashed into a nearby irrigation canal near the town of Hickman.Acosta's 4-year-old daughter, Reagan Herrin, died after the vehicle submerged into the canal, the California Highway Patrol said. The district attorney's office said Acosta now faces charges of murder, vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury, allowing a child to suffer under circumstances likely to cause injury or death, and delaying or obstructing an officer.According to the district attorney's office, Acosta had a blood alcohol content of nearly three times the legal limit of .08% at the time of the crash.The district attorney's office also cited a document that stated Acosta left her daughter in the vehicle and was found taking a bath while Reagan was trapped inside.CHP said a Stanislaus County deputy who responded to the crash jumped into the water to rescue the girl. First responders took her to the hospital, where she later died.If convicted, the district attorney's office said Acosta could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. She was transported from San Francisco to Modesto and is currently being held in the Stanislaus County jail without bail.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
