SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 57-year-old grandmother was identified as the woman killed after a vehicle believed to be racing in the South Bay struck her car late Saturday.
Martha Bertha Villalobos Romo was driving on 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista with her two grandchildren in the backseat just after 6 p.m. when a Ford Mustang blew through a red light on L Street and collided with the grandmother's Nissan Altima, according to Chula Vista Police.
Witnesses at the scene told police that the Mustang and another vehicle were racing at high speeds. While racing, the Mustang was reportedly on the wrong side of the road when it ran the red light, CVPD added.
Steven Dominguez was delivering pizzas when he heard a loud bang. He rushed toward the blue Nissan Altima, where he saw Villalobos and her two grandsons. Dominguez said the doors were jammed but managed to get the children out.
"The older boy had blood coming down his face, and he was just in shock, so I told him to sit down. And then the younger boy, he was so concerned about his grandma. He kept asking, 'Is my grandma okay? Is my grandma okay?'" Dominguez said.
Villalobos was found unresponsive in the car when paramedics arrived and pronounced dead at the scene. Her two grandchildren, ages 7 and 10, were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to police. They have been released from the hospital to their family.
The driver of the Mustang, identified as 22-year-old Alonso Pina, was arrested at the scene, according to CVPD. Pina was still hospitalized on Monday with non-life-threatening injuries. After his release from the hospital, CVPD said he will be booked into jail for vehicular manslaughter.
Officers were still looking for the second vehicle reportedly racing, which is described as a 2014 or newer white Subaru WRX.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the CVPD at 619-691-5151 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
