Manslaughter Charge Filed in Mercedes Death

A Newport Beach woman accused of killing her stepdaughter’s husband by hitting him with her Mercedes-Benz sedan was charged Thursday with involuntary manslaughter and felony hit-and-run driving.

The charges were contrary to a recommendation by Costa Mesa police that Betty Young Davies be charged with murder in the death of James R. Ward, 31, of Costa Mesa, who was struck Dec. 19 by a Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL allegedly driven by Davies.

“I’m glad they didn’t charge her with a heavier offense,” said Marshall M. Schulman, Davies’ attorney. “I believe that she will be exonerated of the present charges.”

Schulman said Davies, 58, will plead not guilty when she is arraigned today in Municipal Court in Newport Beach.

Of the charges, Wendy Ward, the victim’s wife and Davies’ stepdaughter, said in an interview Thursday: “I really don’t know what to think. . . . I just want justice to be done.”

She said she her stepmother had intentionally struck James and should be charged with at least voluntary manslaughter.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Lewis R. Rosenblum, the prosecutor in the case, could not be reached for comment.

According to police reports, the Wards had complained to the Costa Mesa Police Department on at least four occasions in the past three years that Davies had harassed them by vandalizing their car and making annoying phone calls, among other things.

Davies was never arrested on the any of the complaints, police said.

“I don’t know why she had a hate for us,” Wendy Ward said.

Earlier this week, investigators from the district attorney’s office and Costa Mesa Police Department took Davies’ car to the Wards’ house on the 800 block of Congress Street and tried to reconstruct the events leading up to the fatal incident, police said. They refused to discuss any details of the re-enactment.

According to friends and neighbors, Davies had been prowling around the Wards’ house the night of the incident. James Ward went outside to escort Davies back to her car, they said.

“Jim went out there to ask why she was bothering us,” Wendy Ward said Thursday. “I don’t think she came over here with the intention of killing him, but when she got in the car I think she did” want to hit him.

Police said that Davies got into her Mercedes, started it up and drove off, hitting James Ward, who was standing in front of the vehicle. She did not stop, police said.

Wendy Ward watched in horror as her husband was struck, she said. She is the only witness, police said.

James Ward was taken to Hoag Hospital in critical condition.

Police said Davies was arrested the next day on suspicion of attempted murder. She was freed on $75,000 bail.

When James Ward died of his injuries four days later, police said they would recommend that murder charges be filed.

However, in the complaint filed against Davies, Rosenblum states that she killed Ward “without malice” but left the scene “willfully, unlawfully and knowingly.”

Davies faces a maximum seven years if convicted of both charges, Schulman said. A voluntary-manslaughter conviction carries a maximum 11-year sentence, he said.