Suspect To Be Sentenced September 15 In Crash That Killed Long Beach Family

The drunk driver that killed a family of three on Halloween in 2019 has been found guilty of three counts of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter.

Joseph Awaida, 30, his wife, Raihan Dakhil Awaida, 32, and their son, Omar, a 3-year-old child were hit around 10 p.m. when drunk driver Carlo Adrian Navarro failed to make a turndown Country Club Drive. His car swerved onto the sidewalk where the family was making their way home after their Halloween night.

23-year-old Carlo Adrian Navarro was charged with three counts of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Navarro is now facing up to 45 years to life in prison which will be decided at his sentence on Sept. 15. 

In an interview with ABC7, the victims’ aunt Cecilia Vasquez Ramos said, “It’s been almost three years since they were run over by this drunken driver, and I’m glad that we can put this to rest and start the process of grieving now.” “It’s been almost three years since they were run over by this drunken driver, and I’m glad that we can put this to rest and start the process of grieving now,” said the victim’s aunt, Cecilia Vasquez Ramos. 

Upon officer’s arrival, they found the family of three and began life-saving measures where they were then transferred to local hospitals. Joseph Awaida died of his injuries later that night; son Omar, succumbed to his injuries just two days later; and Raihan, passed away on the evening of November 3rd, the Long Beach Police Department reported. 

Navarro was returning from buying a bottle of liquor that night.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, “Immediately after the crash, the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) and ABC opened a Target Responsibility for Alcohol Connected Emergencies (TRACE) investigation to find the source of the alcohol that was consumed by Navarro, an underage driver at the time.”

On December 17, 2019, Vice Investigation Detectives and agents from The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) arrested 56-year-old Amor Potestades Amacio of the City of Norwalk. 

He was the store clerk working at Green Diamond Liquor on the 5300 block of Long Beach that night and was arrested in connection to the fatal car crash for furnishing alcohol to a minor. 

Upon this investigation, the LBPD conducted separate operations in order to reduce the underage consumption of alcohol that resulting in,

• 14 establishments checked
• 3 issued citations for selling to a minor
• 5 issued citations where an adult purchased alcohol for a minor.

A GoFundMe page has been set up and there have been over 230,000 dollars raised in support of their family. Funeral services were held on Nov. 4, with a candlelight vigil after the following two days.