Parents of teen killed by suspected drunk driver in Newport Beach speak out, push for changes to drunk driving laws

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — The family of a 14-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver in Newport Beach is speaking out and calling for drunk driving reform.

Dozens of people gathered Saturday to honor Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley of Rialto. On the evening of May 25, Smiley was crossing the street near Balboa Boulevard and Palm Street when she was struck.

The driver, Joseph Alcazar, 30, now faces murder and drunken driving charges and could be sentenced to 15 years to life plus six years in prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office , Todd Spitzer.

“My little girl was everything,” said Glori Smiley, the girl’s heartbroken mother, fighting back tears – Rosenda was her only child.

The mother stopped near a makeshift memorial for Rosenda at the crash site, filled with messages, photos and flowers.

Rosenda's father, Dr. Fillmore Smiley, recalled the last conversation he had with his daughter just hours before the accident.

“My daughter Rose, who was planning to spend more time with her boyfriend and his friends, came into my room and said, 'Daddy, listen to me. What if, instead of going to Lake Arrowhead Village, we went down to the beach.”

As any loving father would, he said he let her hang out in Newport Beach under certain conditions.

“Most importantly, stay in touch with me so I know you are safe,” the father said. “You know what…my daughter never came home, and she didn't come home because of the behavior, actions and choices of an alleged drunk driver.”

Alcazar, who has two prior drunken driving convictions, was driving drunk with his 8-year-old daughter in the car when he killed Rosenda, prosecutors say. He also allegedly crushed the foot of a 13-year-old girl.

A statement from the prosecutor's office describes how the events allegedly unfolded:

“On Saturday, May 25, at approximately 6:49 p.m., Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley, 14, of Rialto, was crossing E. Balboa Boulevard west of Palm Street with two others against the “Do Not Walk” sign. was stopped to let the group of pedestrians, including Smiley, cross the street, but another driver, later identified as Alcazar, was accused of going around the stopped car and hitting Smiley, who died at the scene. the collision, and running over the foot of a 13-year-old girl.

Alcazar's blood alcohol level was described as “twice the legal limit.” Her 8-year-old daughter and another man were in the car, according to the prosecutor's office.

Alcazar has two prior convictions for driving under the influence. The DA's office says one of those previous incidents involved him in a single-vehicle crash that left him seriously injured.

“A 14-year-old girl living the California dream and enjoying a day of sun and sand at the beach with friends to start the summer died because of the selfish decision of a stranger,” Spitzer said . “A multiple drunk driver not only killed a little girl, but he also endangered his own daughter's life by getting behind the wheel after drinking and traumatizing her and the other young girls who crashed seen hitting and killing a teenage girl.”

Alcazar's arraignment has since continued to June 14 and he is being held without bail.

Meanwhile, Rosenda's family is now demanding more accountability and changes in how DUI cases are handled.

“It’s time to start prosecuting the DUI vehicle passengers as well,” Smiley said. “And if you have a DUI where you kill someone, you should automatically get a life. A life for a life.”

As they try to overcome the pain, Rosenda's family can't help but wonder about what life their little girl would have had.

“She was beautiful and fierce, opinionated and strong,” Glori Smiley said. “Now it’s all gone and I don’t understand why.”