Exclusive: 'You're Not A Good DA:' Loved Ones Upset After Gascón Refuses To Charge Woman In Norwalk Crash That Killed Mother And Her Daughter
NORWALK (CBSLA) — The cars zipping past his brother's home only remind Juan Zuniga that he is in a world devoid of his best friend.
"For somebody to just take her away from me like that — I feel very lost," he said.
On Sunday morning, Zuniga's long-time girlfriend Shannon Alvarez, 50, and her 13-year-old daughter, Ashley, were driving in their Chevrolet Camaro when they were struck by a Dodge Charger at the intersection of Foster and Studebaker Roads.
"She would have been so devastated that Ashley passed away," said Zuniga. "In a sense, I think that maybe God knew that and that's why he took her too."
Much to the dismay of the friends and family of the victims, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office refused to charge a Vegas woman allegedly responsible for a fatal crash in Norwalk that left Alvarez and her daughter dead.
According to investigators, 26-year-old Brittany Lopez was driving without a license when she allegedly sped past a red light and collided with two vehicles: the Alvarezs' Chevy Camaro and one other car. Alvarez and her daughter died later that day after they were transported to the hospital. Lopez and the driver of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries. Investigators also believe that Lopez was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash, but are waiting for toxicology reports to confirm. Even without the toxicology reports, investigators arrested Lopez for vehicular manslaughter shortly after she was treated for her injuries.
However, she was released from jail after the district attorney's office refused to file charges, claiming that a further investigation was needed. The office has not responded to CBSLA's request for more information on why it did not press charges. Upset with Lopez's release, Zuniga claimed that District Attorney George Gascón was acting more like a criminal defense attorney rather than a public servant.
"You know what? You're not a good DA. You're not," said Zuniga. "He needs to hold people accountable," Zuniga said. "He needs to hold himself accountable. Because he's making these decisions and these decisions are a reflection of him."
Zuniga fears that Lopez may hurt others and hopes that she will be held responsible for her actions.
"I just want to let him know that we're gonna do everything we can to bring light to this situation in Norwalk," he said.
