Jury deliberations began Tuesday in the trial of a 27-year-old probationer accused of causing a deadly head-on wreck in Winchester while driving under the influence.
Willie Eddie Salazar of Wildomar allegedly killed 32-year-old Sahtarria Anderson of Menifee in 2022.
Salazar is charged with second-degree murder, felony driving under the influence, DUI resulting in great bodily injury and driving on a revoked license stemming from a prior DUI conviction.
After nearly two weeks of testimony, the prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments Tuesday at the Southwest Justice Center, where Riverside County Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson sent the jury behind closed doors to weigh evidence during the afternoon hours. The panel did not reach a verdict, and the judge directed jurors to return to the Murrieta courthouse Wednesday morning to pick up where they left off.
Salazar is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
According to the California Highway Patrol, on the night of April 29, 2022, the defendant was driving his Honda Civic the wrong way — going westbound in the eastbound lanes of Domenigoni Parkway — when he approached a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Anderson’s friend, identified only as a 31-year-old Hemet man.
Anderson was in the right front passenger seat of the four-door sedan, which was near Patterson Avenue when the two vehicles reached the same point.
“The Honda and Chevrolet were involved in a head-on crash,” CHP Officer Jason Montez said at the time, adding that it was unclear exactly how fast each car was traveling.
Paramedics arrived minutes later and treated the defendant and two victims, all of whom were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar.
Anderson died the following day. Her friend, who suffered major injuries, was hospitalized for an unspecified period but has since recovered.
Salazar, also seriously hurt, was hospitalized for more than a week before being booked into jail.
Court records show he pleaded guilty in February 2022 to misdemeanor DUI, receiving a month-long jail sentence and a 36-month term of probation, with a requirement that he attend classes on the dangers of drinking and driving.
It was unclear whether he enrolled in the program. Under California law, if a DUI offender admits or is convicted of driving while intoxicated, he or she can be charged with murder for causing a death directly tied to a subsequent DUI collision.
Court documents show Salazar additionally has a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence.