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Ex-CHP officer, suspected DUI driver to be arraigned
A now-former California Highway Patrol officer and a suspected DUI driver were set to be arraigned Tuesday on murder charges stemming from the deaths of four people whose vehicle was struck first by the patrol car and then by the second motorist on the 605 Freeway in Norwalk in a pair of high-speed crashes last summer.
LOS ANGELES - A former California Highway Patrol officer and a suspected drunk driver are scheduled for arraignment Tuesday on four counts of murder following a pair of high-speed crashes that left four people dead in Norwalk last summer.
What we know:
On July 20, 2025, former Officer Angelo Rodriguez was allegedly driving a patrol vehicle at speeds exceeding 130 mph without emergency lights or sirens when he struck a Nissan carrying four passengers.
Following the impact, Rodriguez – who had been with the CHP since 2023 but was fired after the crash – reportedly pulled to the shoulder, deactivated his lights, and waited three minutes before exiting the freeway without notifying dispatchers of the collision.
About two minutes later, Iris Salmeron—allegedly driving over 110 mph with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit—slammed into the disabled Nissan.
The second impact caused the vehicle to burst into flames.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed that while the four victims survived the initial hit by the officer, the second crash caused the fatal injuries.
Rodriguez had extensive training about safe driving and responding to traffic collisions while working for the CHP, and had been involved in two prior on-duty traffic collisions, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Salmeron – a Bellflower resident whom the District Attorney's Office said had attended a high school event where the dangers of driving under the influence were discussed — and a passenger in her vehicle were injured in the crash.
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... and if the officer hadn't gone off to the side of the road and not called in this incident immediately," Hochman said during a news conference.
Regarding the second impact, Hochman noted, "The initial crash and the actions of Officer Rodriguez were a substantial factor in the ultimate deaths of these four people... The second crash is what ignited the car and burned the occupants."
What's next:
Both defendants are currently held on $4 million bail, though prosecutors intend to ask the court to increase that amount to $8 million each.
Along with the murder counts, Salmeron was also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury and driving under the influence with 0.08% alcohol causing bodily injury.
If convicted on all charges, both Rodriguez and Salmeron face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Source: This report is based on formal charges, statements, and jail records provided by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman during a news conference at his downtown headquarters.