A 27-year-old probationer who caused a head-on crash while driving under the influence that killed a woman and seriously injured a man in Winchester was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges.
Willie Eddie Salazar of Wildomar caused the death of 32-year-old Sahtarria Anderson of Menifee in 2022.
Along with the murder count, a Murrieta jury also found Salazar guilty of felony driving under the influence and DUI resulting in great bodily injury. Jurors went behind closed doors early Tuesday afternoon following closing arguments by the prosecution and defense at the Southwest Justice Center. The jury apparently reached verdicts before leaving for the day, but the unanimous findings were not formally recorded until Wednesday morning.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 3. Salazar, who is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, is facing more than 20 years in prison.
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 ultimately 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 had a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence.