One Man Dead, Another Hurt After Suspected DUI Crash in Stanton
Late Friday night in Stanton turned tragic when a collision near Magnolia Avenue left one man dead and another in the hospital. It was nearly 11 p.m. when deputies and medics arrived at the scene — two cars had crashed hard. From the look of it, one wasn’t going to walk away.
Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority confirmed it quickly. A man inside a Toyota van had died at the scene. The other person, found injured, was rushed to the hospital. Details about his condition weren’t released right away.
Deputies later identified the man who lost his life as Hoanh Thanh Ngo, a 55-year-old from Stanton. He was behind the wheel of the van at the time. No word yet on where he was headed or what he might have been doing in those final minutes — just that he never made it.
As for the other driver, officers say he tried to take off on foot after the crash. He didn’t get far. They caught him nearby and identified him as James Anthony Deleon, a 30-year-old from Irvine. The car he was driving was a Dodge sedan, and he was arrested not long after the wreck.
What’s making this story even harder to hear — and tougher to explain away — is that Deleon had already pleaded guilty to a DUI once before. That was last year. Because of that prior conviction, prosecutors have decided to file a second-degree murder charge instead of something less severe.
He’s now facing multiple charges, including DUI causing injury and murder. He’s being held without bail. As of now, no plea has been entered, and his next court date — the arraignment — is scheduled for May 22.
According to legal standards in California, a prior DUI can be used to upgrade a new DUI charge if someone dies. That shift from what might’ve been manslaughter to second-degree murder is possible when the driver is seen as having prior knowledge of the risk. That seems to be the route prosecutors are taking here.
Authorities haven’t shared many more details publicly. What led up to the crash, whether the van had the right of way, or how fast either driver was going — all of that is still unclear. But someone lost their life. And another is now facing the weight of that loss, not to mention the legal consequences that will follow.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is still piecing everything together. If you saw anything that night or have information that might help investigators, they’re asking folks to reach out at (949) 425-1860.
If you’re curious about how second-degree murder applies in DUI cases, the vehicular homicide laws in California can shed some light on how these cases evolve in court.
For now, a community is left with questions. A family is left with grief. And another family may be facing a long road of its own — filled with courtrooms, regret, and whatever justice looks like in the aftermath of something like this.
