Man accused of crashing into Arizona house with child in car
PHOENIX - A man in Arizona is accused of aggravated DUI, following a crash that left a homeowner in Phoenix injured.
The crash, investigators say, happened on the night of Mar. 1, when the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Manuel Laynez Asicona, was allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol, and crashed into a home in the area of Cave Creek and Greenway Roads.
The home’s owner, according to officials, was inside the home when the crash happened.
Manuel Laynez Asicona
Laynez, per court documents, was driving the car while a child was inside, and not secured to a car seat. He was placed under arrest for alleged DUI after a field sobriety test was done. It was also noted that Laynez refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The suspect, who is listed as a Guatemalan citizen in court documents, is accused of a count of Aggravated DUI with passengers under 15, which is a felony. Investigators also state that Laynez has an outstanding warrant for alleged DUI out of Florida.
Family, neighbors talk about ordeal
On Mar. 4, we spoke with members of the homeowner's family about the crash.
"It sounded like a plane hit my house. It was awful. The house shook," the victim's daughter, Rita Perkins, said. "I was screaming on the floor from this disaster."
Rita's mother, 90-year-old Ouida, was sitting on a couch when the incident happened: the truck allegedly driven by Laynez crashed through the home's living room.
"All I could think about was to get my momma," said Rita. "That was it, just get to my mom."
After the crash, next door neighbor Justen Alexander rushed to help.
"I just heard a big old crash," Justen recalls. "I grabbed all the curtains, ripped off the curtains and cleared a path, and when I went in, there was another gentleman who had her in his arms, so I said ‘hey, let’s get her out, and then I'll pick up her feet, and we'll got her out there.'"
Ouida's family members say she is now hospitalized with several wounds. Rita is hoping there's more than just a slap on the wrist, especially since Ouida's great-grandkids were playing in the same place just moments prior.
"Everything's gone," said Rita. "The antiques, everything's gone."
A judge has released Laynez without bail, subject to a number of conditions. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Mar. 20.