Charges to Be Filed in Death of Twin at Crossing

Prosecutors said Friday that they will file charges against a driver who fatally struck an 8-year-old boy at a Brea intersection after she allegedly failed to stop for a red light.

According to authorities, Margarita Gonzales Monares, 58, of Brea was going to work Tuesday afternoon when the collision occurred, throwing the boy’s body 90 feet.

The boy, Brent Jarrett Adams, and his twin brother, Nick, were on their way home from Laurel Elementary School, said Brea Police Lt. Bill Hutchinson.

Brent stepped into the crosswalk at the intersection of Birch Street and Poplar Avenue about 2:30 p.m. and was struck by Monares’ Toyota Corolla, he said. The boy was declared dead four hours later.

“We don’t see this kind of accident very often,” Hutchinson said. “And with how young the victim was, it’s tragic all around.”

Brea police finished the investigation Friday and turned the case over to prosecutors, recommending one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

“We have the case, and we expect to file charges on Monday,” said Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

Monares said she was not aware of the charges and declined to comment on them. “It is very hard for me right now,” she said.

“They depended on each other so much, those two little boys,” said the twins’ grandmother, Sophie Adams, 82, of Tustin. “It is just very tragic, that is all I can say.”

Brent’s funeral will be Monday at Eastside Christian Church in Brea.