Teenage girl dies after hit by car in Newport Beach; driver arrested

Monday, May 27, 2024
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A teenager was hit and killed by a car while crossing the street in Newport Beach, and police say the driver may have been impaired.

The crash happened shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday near Balboa Boulevard and Palm Street, according to the Newport Beach Police Department. Surveillance video from the liquor store on the corner shows people stopping to help.

A 14-year-old girl, identified Monday as Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley of Rialto, was pronounced dead at the scene. A makeshift memorial for the Rosenda was growing at the intersection.

Police said the driver who hit her was at the scene when they arrived. Investigators later determined that alcohol appeared to be a factor.

Joseph Alcazar, 30, of Fontana, was arrested shortly after for homicide-traffic fatality and cruelty to a child, police said.


Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.