NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) - A 61-year-old man with three prior DUI convictions is facing murder charges after authorities said he rear-ended a couple's Jeep, sending it off a bridge into the Sweetwater River and killing them.
Family members said Nacho Pedroza, 60, and Monica Pedroza, 53, were just seven minutes from home when the crash happened just past midnight two Sundays ago.
The couple was heading home on the 54 near the Interstate 5 bridge after a night at a casino. Prosecutors said Douglas Guyton hit them from behind, sending the Jeep plunging into the river.
Firefighter rescue crews pulled Monica out of the water and brought her to shore, but could not revive her. Nacho was pronounced dead after the Jeep was pulled out of the water.
Guyton is charged with DUI and two counts of second-degree murder. Prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, and he has three prior DUI convictions. The couple's family turned out as Guyton was arraigned last week.
Surrounded by four of his siblings and a photo of his parents, Armando Pedroza told me his grief still feels surreal.
"Pretty devastated right now," a tearful Armando said. "Just feels like a really, really bad dream.”
The couple were devoted grandparents and just weeks shy of celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary. Monica was a manager at Albertsons, and Nacho was a carpenter who was always willing to volunteer. After the January 2024 floods, he helped clean out homes for a month.
"My parents gave me a sense of purpose, of helping others," Armando said.
The Pedroza family says they will be showing up as each step of the legal process plays out. Armando expressed frustration with the system.
"I feel like the system failed my family," Armando said. "We want justice. They deserve at least justice. The impact is lifelong. It didn’t just end two lives. Impacted so many lives," Armando said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family with funeral and other expenses. A fundraiser will be held Thursday, April 16, at Aztlan Libre in Barrio Logan.
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