The man accused of drunkenly crashing his SUV into a family as they trick-or-treated has been re-arrested after his release on bail last week.
Long Beach police took 20-year-old Carlo Navarro back into custody around 6 p.m. Tuesday on misdemeanor charges unrelated to the Halloween-night crash that killed Joseph Awaida, Raihan Dakhil and their 3-year-old son, Omar.
Navarro had been free on $100,000 bail since Nov. 1 after being arrested at the scene of the crash by Los Cerritos Park. Now, however, he’s being held on $500,000 bail, jail records show.
Authorities are still weighing what charges to file against Navarro in connection with the Halloween crash, but the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s office was able re-arrest Navarro in connection with an earlier burglary, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said. Haubert’s office handles misdemeanor crimes in Long Beach, but felonies are prosecuted by the district attorney’s office.
Haubert said Navarro is charged with burglary and vandalism in connection with a June 30 break-in at a Bixby Knolls vape shop where a window was smashed.
Police had already arrested Navarro on suspicion of that crime back in June, but he’d been free on $20,000 bail as prosecutors went over the case and eventually filed misdemeanor charges on Nov. 5, according to records.
In light of the new accusations that Navarro is responsible for killing three people, Haubert’s office was able to seek an arrest warrant for Navarro and ask a judge to set his bail at $500,000 in the case, Haubert said.
What punishment could the driver suspected of killing a family of 3 face?
After a judge approved that bail amount Tuesday, officers went out to find Navarro and arrested him.
Since the deadly crash on Halloween—and Navarro’s release on bail shortly thereafter—anger has poured out online about how he could be free after such a tragedy. His $100,000 bail—set by a uniform schedule—was a typical amount for an arrest on suspicion of manslaughter. Because Navarro hadn’t yet been formally charged with a crime in the crash, authorities didn’t have a chance to ask a judge to increase that bail before he posted bond.
Because Haubert’s office already had charges pending against Navarro, they were able to ask a judge to hold him on the abnormally high amount based on the new crimes he was accused of committing.
Prosecutors argued Navarro was more likely to try to flee now that he could face charges in the deaths of three beloved community members.
Navarro’s grandmother said he and his family have also been getting death threats.
“He’s crying all the time,” she said Tuesday morning, just hours before police re-arrested him at the family home.
Police said detectives will be meeting with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office soon to go over the DUI case and decide what charges should be filed.
Navarro faces a max of two and a half years in jail if he’s convicted in the burglary case, but he could face decades longer in prison depending on whether he’s convicted in the fatal crash.
Second-degree murder charges, which legal experts said prosecutors might pursue, carry a term of 15 years to life in prison.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more information from prosecutors.