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4 dead, 2 injured in DUI crash in Norwalk, officials say
Four people died and two others were hurt in a suspected DUI crash in Norwalk on the 605 Freeway, officials said.
DOWNEY, Calif. - On Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced a now-former California Highway Patrol officer and a suspected DUI driver are being charged with murder in connection with the deaths of four people from a horrific crash last summer.
The backstory:
The crash happened on the 605 Freeway in Norwalk, north of the 105 on Sunday 20, 2025.
PREVIOUS: 4 killed, 2 injured in fiery DUI crash on 605 Freeway in Norwalk: officials
Originally, officers reported that a California Highway Patrol vehicle and a Nissan had crashed into each other. That collision disabled the Nissan, and the car was stuck in one of the lanes of the freeway.
Then, while the Nissan was stuck, a Kia slammed into the back of the Nissan, setting the Nissan on fire, with all four people inside stuck.
Paramedics pronounced all four people inside the Nissan dead at the scene.
What we know about the suspects
During the early stages of the investigation, 27-year-old Iris Salmeron, the driver of the Kia, was identified as a suspect. She was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and was arrested at the scene.
In addition to the murder charges, Salmeron also faces two DUI charges, Hochman said.
On Monday, former CHP Officer Angelo Rodriguez, age 24, was identified as a second suspect and was let go following the crash.
Investigators allege he was driving more than 130 mph without a siren or emergency lights on when he struck the Nissan. He is then accused of waiting three minutes without alerting a CHP dispatcher about the crash before exiting the freeway.
The two were arrested Friday night and remain behind bars with bail set at $4 million, jail records show. Hochman said prosecutors will ask that their bail be increased to $8 million each.
Victims identified
The four victims were all aged 25 and younger. They have been identified as:
- Juliana Hamori, 23, of Huntington Beach;
- Armand Del Campo, 24, of San Pedro;
- Jordan Partridge, 23, of Los Angeles;
- Samantha Skocilic, 22, of Westminster.
What they're saying:
"This horrible tragedy could have been prevented had this officer not been driving at ridiculously high speeds for no reason whatsoever without his lights and sirens on, if the officer hadn't gone off to the side of the road and not called in this incident immediately, had this other individual, Ms. Salmeron, not been driving at an incredibly excessive speed, drunk, while she crashed into this car," Hochman said.
What's next:
The two are set to be arraigned Tuesday in a Bellflower courtroom.
The Source: City News Service contributed to this report.