Man charged with 2 counts of murder in DUI crash that killed Chula Vista couple

A National City man accused of driving under the influence and killing two people inside a Jeep, sending their vehicle into the Sweetwater River off state Route 54 last weekend, appeared in a Chula Vista courthouse on Thursday.

Douglas Guyton, 61, was charged with two counts of second degree murder and two charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to court documents.

Guyton’s charges escalated to murder because this was his fourth time being charged with driving under the influence in the past 14 years.

NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes was in the courtroom on Thursday and counted more than ten of his victims’ family members in the courtroom. Earlier in the week, the victims were identified as Ignacio Pedroza, 60, and his wife, Monica Pedroza, 53, of Chula Vista.

Deputy District Attorney Annie Sanchez was also in the courtroom on Thursday.

“Under California law, he can be charged with second degree murder when you have been warned about the dangers of drinking and driving and choose to do so again in the future and killing somebody,” Sanchez said.

“This tragedy took two people away from their families as they were parents. They were siblings, they were daughters sons. And they were no longer here because the defendant chose to drink and drive that day. After being warned over and over again that it’s dangerous and that it could cause somebody to lose their life,” Sanchez said.

The crash was reported around 1 a.m. last Sunday on the westbound SR-54 transitioning into the southbound Interstate 5 bridge, the California Highway Patrol said.

“The Jeep subsequently left the roadway of the connector ramp and landed in the Sweetwater River below, where it became fully submerged,” the CHP said in a release.

Juan Gonzalez described seeing the Jeep fly off the freeway ramp, sparks flying, and crash into the water below. He said he attempted to help in rescue efforts, but was stopped by police.

“We were attempting to go into the [river], but they were suggesting that we didn’t because of how unsafe it could have been,” Gonzalez said.

National City firefighters initiated rescue operations and were able to extricate Monica from the vehicle and bring her to shore. She was pronounced dead shortly after. First responders were unable to extricate her husband, Ignazio, from the vehicle until it was fully pulled out of the water shortly after 4 a.m.

The CHP is urging anyone who witnessed this crash to please get in touch with the CHP San Diego Area directly at (858) 293-6000.