SANTA ANA – A 22-year-old woman made her first appearance in court Thursday for a deadly crash that killed a man in La Palma two years ago.
Leslie Melissa Bernal was charged Nov. 18 with gross vehicular manslaughter in the March 9, 2021, crash that killed 39-year-old Joaquin Lopez, according to court records.
Bernal failed to appear in court for her arraignment Dec. 15 so an arrest warrant was issued for the Bellflower resident, according to court records. La Palma police arrested Bernal Wednesday and she made her first appearance in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana on Thursday when her arraignment was rescheduled for March 30 in the North Justice Center in Fullerton.
According to the criminal complaint, Bernal is accused of driving at an unsafe speed and inattention in the crash.