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Driver charged with murder after car crashes into house, killing man

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A man suspected of driving his car into a Mission Viejo home and killing a sleeping man was charged Monday with murder, prosecutors said.

Kourosh Keshmiri, 27, of Mission Viejo is accused of crashing a late-model Cadillac sedan Sunday into the front bedroom of a home in the 26000 block of Pacato Drive, killing Kenneth Jackson, 60.

Authorities believe Keshmiri was driving more than 50 mph in a 25 mph zone when he crashed into the house about 3 a.m., said the Orange County district attorney’s office in a statement.

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Keshmiri was also driving with a suspended license and had a history of driving under the influence, the O.C. Sheriff’s Department said.

The house sustained major damage, and crews repaired a ruptured gas line. Another male resident, who had been in a different part of the house at the time, was not injured.

Keshmiri suffered minor injuries, as did a passenger in his car, authorities said. The passenger was interviewed and released.

According to the D.A.’s office, when deputies arrived at the scene, Keshmiri displayed signs of intoxication and performed poorly on a field sobriety test. However, he has not been charged with DUI, said Farrah Emami, spokeswoman for the office. The investigation is ongoing.

“We’ll review the evidence as the investigation continues and make any additional filing decisions as needed,” Emami said.

Keshmiri has a previous misdemeanor DUI conviction from 2010. He was also charged in June with driving under the influence and faces a pretrial hearing in that case Jan. 23.

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He was being held on $1-million bail and was expected to be arraigned Tuesday at Santa Ana Central Jail. Keshmiri faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted.

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adolfo.flores@latimes.com

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