DUI suspect pleads guilty to murder of pregnant Anaheim woman

Suspected DUI driver kills pregnant woman in Anaheim

A 23-year-old woman who was 35 weeks pregnant was killed Tuesday evening after being struck by a suspected drunk driver in Anaheim.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Courtney Fritz Pandolfi pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder when she crashed into and killed Yesenia Aguilar, a woman who was 8 months pregnant and out on a walk with her husband in Anaheim. Authorities said Pandolfi was under the influence of numerous drugs when she hit the 23-year-old mom-to-be.

The couple's infant daughter miraculously survived the crash after being delivered through an emergency C-section following Aguilar's death. The little girl, now three years old, joined her father in the Santa Ana courtroom Tuesday morning.

Pandolfi had three previous DUI convictions, and one pending DUI involving drugs, when she got behind the wheel of her white Jeep SUV on Aug. 11, 2020 and jumped the curb onto an Anaheim sidewalk.

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Pregnant Aguilar was walking and holding hands with her husband on Katella Ave. near Bayless St. in Orange County around 7:30 p.m.

Pandolfi drove down the sidewalk and crashed into a metal newspaper stand. Despite the collision, Pandolfi continued down the sidewalk, where she hit Aguilar without braking or turning the vehicle, according to officials.

The 44-year-old was under the influence of a drug cocktail, including cocaine, methamphetamine and morphine, when she hit and killed Aguilar.

Yesenia Aguilar (left) and daughter holding her late mother's photo (right).

"This was not an accident. This is a woman who made a habit of driving while high. She was warned over and over again about the dangers of her actions," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "She knew it was wrong, but she decided that being high was more important than the life of a young woman who was just weeks away from becoming a mother for the first time."

In addition to her murder charge, Pandolfi also pleaded guilty to two drug-related charges while she was incarcerated awaiting trial.

She faces a sentence of 15 years to life if convicted on all charges.

"Yesenia’s memory will live on through her beautiful, little girl," said Spitzer. "But that little girl is growing up without ever being able to hug her mother or hear her voice because a stranger decided to make the selfish decision to get behind the wheel while high on drugs."