NAPA, Calif. — A Napa mother was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) after a tragic crash Sunday morning that claimed the lives of her two young children. The children, 9-year-old Aaliyah Montanez and 10-year-old Damien Montanez, were killed when their mother crashed into a tree while exiting Highway 29 onto West Imola Avenue. The accident occurred at approximately 7:20 a.m.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the crash took place at a high rate of speed, and the children were pronounced dead at the scene. The children’s mother, 31-year-old Yesica Barajas, was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment following the crash. She was later arrested for DUI and faces multiple felony charges, including possible manslaughter charges. CHP Sergeant Andrew Barclay confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
“This is an incredibly difficult and tragic situation for our community,” said Sergeant Barclay. “The loss of two young lives, especially under circumstances that could have been avoided, makes this all the more painful. The fact that these children were killed due to someone else’s decision to drive impaired is a hard thing to come to terms with.”
The victims, Damien and Aaliyah, were well-known in the local community, where they attended school in the Napa Valley. The school district, while withholding specific details about the children’s school, expressed its condolences in a statement, offering support to students and staff in the wake of the tragedy.
“Our hearts go out to the family as we grieve with our community,” the district’s statement read. “We continue to have counseling and social worker support available for students and staff.”
Local residents have also been deeply affected by the crash. Gabriel Cardenas, a Napa resident who visited the scene of the accident to pay his respects, described the situation as a “total tragedy for the community, the school, and friends.” Cardenas, who drove from Santa Rosa to Napa to leave flowers at the site, spoke of the overwhelming grief he felt for the children. “I just felt horrible for the kids,” he said. “At that time of the morning, kids should be being normal kids, watching cartoons with their bowl of cereal.”
Mojtab Jarimabadi, who manages a U-Haul business near the crash site, expressed similar sorrow. “I want to cry for those kids,” Jarimabadi said. “Why we drink and drive, I don’t know. I just feel for those kids and their family.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for the family to cover funeral expenses. The page describes Damien and Aaliyah as “sweet, loving, full of life kids who will be missed greatly.”
As the community mourns the loss of these two young children, the CHP is reminding drivers of the serious consequences of impaired driving. Sergeant Barclay emphasized the preventability of the incident, stating, “This is a situation that could have been avoided, and it’s a reminder of how devastating the consequences of impaired driving can be for everyone involved.”
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and further charges may be forthcoming as authorities continue to gather information.