DUI suspect charged in crash that killed 8-year-old girl and man in Atwater

ATWATER, Calif. (KFSN) -- An accused drunk driver in the North Valley is now facing murder charges more than a year after a deadly crash.

"I literally have to walk past her bedroom every single day because her bedroom is next to mine. My house is super quiet because she's not there. Her absence is fell every single day," said Ruby Roy, who lost her only child in the crash.

The grieving mother lives just a block from where a suspected drunk driver took the life of her 8-year-old daughter, Caloni Roy.

She's reminded daily of the tragic night.

"For a long time, her blood was still on the corner. I went even like a month ago, and there was still dry blood on that same corner where she passed away at that is a horrible memory to have to remember," explained Ruby.

In August of 2023, two cars collided off of Green Sands and Buhach in Atwater, killing both Caloni and 26-year-old Joshua Hitto.

Joshua's sister and Ruby were also hospitalized.

But a cause and a culprit were still in question.

Now, over a year later, the Atwater Police Department's intensive investigation has brought 25-year-old Raul Covarrubias of Los Banos into custody.

Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador says one of the main challenges was identifying the driver of the car at fault, causing a setback for the arrest.

"I believe there was a question about that identification at the time of the incident. We worked it, we were able to get enough evidence to suggest that he is now the driver," said Chief Salvador.

The criminal complaint obtained by Action News states that at the time of the crash, Covarrubias had a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher, meaning it was above the legal limit for driving.

Hours of manpower went into what Chief Salvador says was a complex case.

His department had to seek help from outside agencies including the DOJ, CHP, and Los Banos PD.

"We have to do a lot of things that you might see in a college physics class, and the reconstruction of the crash determining directions of travels and speeds. All of those things are all components of a crash investigation," said Chief Salvador.

While she's thankful for the arrest, Ruby says she's upset the suspect was able to walk free for more than a year.

Nothing can bring Caloni back, but Ruby is hopeful she'll soon see justice.

"This is not something that should ever be taken so lightly. I do believe that this person deserves to spend the rest of their life in prison," Ruby said.

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