Man held in killing of three family members in Turlock DUI crash

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he struck and killed three family members who were taking their regular afternoon walk, Turlock police said Tuesday.

Luis Miguel Cruz was one of two occupants inside a white BMW that hit a 47-year-old woman, her 20-year-old daughter-in-law and 4-year-old grandson about 7:44 p.m. Friday, according to the Turlock Police Department.

He was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol and felony hit-and-run for trying to run away from the crash, police said.

The older woman, Elena Flores, was walking with her daughter-in-law, Julia Flores, and her two children, ages 2 and 4, on the sidewalk when the BMW, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, veered off road, police said.

The BMW struck the family, killing the women instantly.

But the BMW continued, entering a frontyard, hitting an electrical box, a stop sign and the side of a home, destroying two unoccupied bedrooms.

Cruz and his passenger got out of the BMW and tried running away. But bystanders were able to detain Cruz. His passenger ran into a nearby home and was detained after police obtained a search warrant.

Emergency workers performed CPR on the 4-year-old boy, identified as Brian Flores, for more than 30 minutes, but they were unable to revive him, and he died at the hospital.

The youngest child was uninjured.

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