SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man accused of driving drunk, fatally striking a toddler in City Heights with an SUV, then leaving the scene, was ordered Friday to stand trial on charges that include murder.
Margarito Angeles Vargas, 46, is accused of striking 19-month-old Annaleeh Rodarte about 6:45 p.m. Sept. 24, 2022 on Redwood Street near 40th Street.
Angeles Vargas was arrested later that day at his home in the Bay Terraces neighborhood.
He faces a second-degree murder count -- which carries a potential 15- year-to-life prison term -- due to a DUI conviction from 2016.
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Prosecutors allege Angeles Vargas had a blood alcohol level of .206 percent in the current case, and had a .21 percent blood alcohol level in the 2016 case, both of which are more than two times the legal driving limit in California.
According to Deputy District Attorney Hailey Williams, Angeles Vargas has never owned a driver's license.
Preliminary hearing testimony indicated Angeles Vargas attended a baby shower on nearby 39th Street just prior to the alleged fatality collision.
After leaving that event, he allegedly drove south on 40th Street and turned left onto Redwood Street. San Diego police Det. Michael Gottfried testified that he reviewed camera footage from neighboring homes and in the footage, the defendant's 1999 Toyota 4Runner can be seen turning so widely that he nearly strikes a parked truck on Redwood Street.
As the 4Runner turned onto the street, Annaleeh and three of her siblings were crossing the roadway about midway down the block at an unmarked crosswalk. After the girl was struck, she was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead just after 1 a.m. the following morning.
A witness took a picture of the suspect's SUV, which captured the license plate. That picture was provided to police and the car was found to be registered to the defendant's wife, according to testimony.
About 10 to 15 minutes after the girl was struck, Angeles Vargas allegedly rear-ended another driver who was stopped at a red light at the intersection of 54th and Redwood streets. That driver, who was not injured, told police the vehicle that struck him, then backed up and struck him again before speeding off, San Diego police Det. John Letteri testified.
Prosecutors also allege he stopped and purchased food from a street vendor at some point after the fatal collision.
San Diego police Officer Christopher Lingenhol, one of the officers who arrested the defendant at his home, testified that he saw the 4Runner pull into the residence's driveway with significant difficulty, requiring multiple attempts to park the vehicle.
He and other officers then ordered Angeles Vargas to get out of the vehicle and walk towards them. Lingenhol testified that Angeles Vargas smelled strongly of alcohol, was swaying as he walked and "looked ready to fall at any time."
Inside the 4Runner, officers found an opened beer can in the center cup holder and empty beer cans on the floorboard of the backseat.
Gottfried testified that he inspected of the underside of the 4Runner, where he said he found blood and a white gel-like substance that he believed matched a substance found at the scene of the fatality. The detective said he believed that substance came from a baby's diaper.
Defense attorney Marie Maloney called what occurred "a tragic accident," but argued Angeles Vargas may not have been able to see the girl.
Maloney said the girl was small in size and entered the roadway from behind a retaining wall. She also argued that his purchase of food after the collision indicated he was unaware of what occurred.
Angeles Vargas remains in custody without bail.
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