Long Beach Liquor Store Clerk Arrested For Selling Alcohol To Driver Who Mowed Down Family Of 3 On Halloween
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) – A liquor store clerk has been arrested on allegations he sold alcohol to a 20-year-old driver a few hours before he struck and killed a couple and their young son while they were out trick-or-treating in Long Beach on Halloween night.
Amor Amacio, 56, of Norwalk was taken into custody Tuesday on a single count count of furnishing alcohol to a minor resulting in great bodily harm or death, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
On the night of Oct. 31, according to Long Beach police, Carlo Navarro lost control of a 2002 Toyota Sequoia, drove up onto a sidewalk along Country Club Drive, near Los Cerritos Park, and hit 30-year-old Joseph Awaida, his wife Raihan Dakhil and their 3-year-old son Omar.
Awaida died instantly, while his wife and son were hospitalized and both passed away several days later.
Navarro was arrested at the scene and charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol.
State investigators determined that Navarro had purchased alcohol from Amacio at Green Diamond Liquor, located at 5351 Long Beach Blvd., on the night of the crash.
"He said that he purchased alcohol here in the past, on many occasions, and on the night in question that he obtained alcohol here as well," Brad Beech, an ABC agent, said.
It was not immediately clear if Amacio carded Navarro and/or whether he is accused of selling him the alcohol while being aware that he was underage.
"It's sickening actually," Cicilia Ramos, a relative of the Awaida family, said. "That's the only word I can come up with. There's a burning feeling, and a punch to the gut every day, and it bothers me that he was able to obtain liquor illegally from a grown woman who should have known better."
ABC will determine whether to revoke or suspend Green Diamond's alcohol license, the department said in a news release Wednesday.
According to an ABC agent, Amacio had her own license to operate Eddie's Liquor in Long Beach, but that license was revoked earlier this year.
"That liquor license was taken away from her for arrests that were unrelated to our department," Beech said. "They were crimes of moral turpitude, fraudulent activity. Apparently she's working here now as a clerk for her daughter."
Navarro was initially released from custody on $100,000 bail, but was then re-arrested on Nov. 6 in connection with an unrelated burglary which occurred in June.
On Nov. 12, Navarro pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the fatal crash. He faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison if convicted. He remains jailed.
