The Bayamon Court found cause to arrest this Sunday against a man for driving while intoxicated at the time of causing the death of a woman and her infant son in a vehicle crash in Vega Baja.

In a press release, the police identified the accused as José Manuel Maldonado Morales, 24 years old.

The facts were reported on Saturday at about 3:49 p.m., through a call to the 9-1-1 Emergency System, on PR-137.

“Following the vehicular impact caused by Maldonado Morales, driver Michaiska Marie Romero Rodriguez died on the spot along with her one-month-old baby, Chaismary Marie Romero,” the DOJ statement said.

It added that “the infant was traveling in her protective seat. Likewise, as a result of the impact, the husband of the deceased and father of the baby”, suffered “bodily injuries that keep him in a hospital institution”.

Prosecutors Orlandy Cabrera Valentín and Nátali Díaz Matos, of the Bayamón District Attorney’s Office, filed seven complaints against Maldonado Morales for the crimes of “negligence and reckless driving, causing death, driving under the influence of intoxicating beverages and causing serious bodily harm, according to Law No. 22-2000, the Puerto Rico Vehicle and Traffic Law," Justice detailed.

Bayamon Court Judge Carolina Guzman Tejada found cause on all charges and set a global bail of $750,000. It was not specified if the defendant posted bail.

The preliminary hearing was scheduled for December 8 at 9:00 am.

According to the Police investigation, conducted by Manatí Patrol and Highway Unit agent Jonathan López Soto, Maldonado Morales was driving a 2006 white four-door Acura TSX from Vega Baja to Morovis.

The charges allege that he was traveling “at a speed for which he lost control and control of the vehicle, thus invading the oncoming lane and impacting a white 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage four-door vehicle driven by Michaiska Marie Romero Rodriguez, who died on the spot along with her one-month-old baby," said Justicia.

“José Manuel Maldonado Morales underwent a breath test, yielding a result of 0.108% alcohol in his organism," he noted.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.