Opening statements are slated Thursday in the trial of a woman accused of driving drunk following a night out with co-workers in Kearny Mesa and dragging one of her fellow employees to death with her car when he tried to prevent her from getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Latisha Ingram, 33, is charged with second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit-and-run causing death and drunken driving for the June 27, 2019, death of 25-year-old Ha Minh Ta, who Ingram worked with at a Bank of America branch.
According to Deputy District Attorney Phillippa Cunningham, Ingram and Ta met up with other co- workers for after-dinner drinks and the defendant, “against the advice of friends,” decided to try to drive home.
Ingram got into an argument with Ta about 11:30 p.m. in a parking lot in the 4600 block of Convoy Street, and she allegedly started to drive away while he was still holding onto her car. Ingram drove out of the parking lot and turned southbound onto Convoy Street, where Ta let go and was run over by the defendant, San Diego police Officer Robert Heims said.
Paramedics rushed Ta to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Ingram was arrested a short time later. According to prosecutors, her blood-alcohol concentration was .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit.
She’s charged with murder due to a 2010 DUI conviction in Orange County.