A 31-year-old woman accused of killing a Cal State Long Beach custodian as he drove to work is now facing a felony charge related to his death.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has filed one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated against Long Beach resident Julie Haq.
The crime is typically punishable by 4, 6, or 10 years in state prison, but the victim’s family is worried Haq may be offered a plea agreement with a lesser penalty.
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Police allege Haq was speeding in a Lexus sedan when she broadsided a Ford Focus in the intersection of Anaheim Street and Atlantic Avenue on Feb. 20 just before midnight.
The force of the crash sent the Focus careening into a traffic signal and then an abandoned building, according to police.
The driver in the Focus, 60-year-old Rodger Watkins, died at the scene.
Watkins was on his way to his job as a custodian at Cal State Long Beach, according to his family, who described him as a loving husband, father, grandpa, friend and co-worker.
“I don’t want my Dad to be just another victim…or the drunk driver to get a light sentence and plea deal like every other similar tragedy in LA county,” Wakins’ daughter Mariela Salgado wrote in an email. She referenced a driver who got 180 days in jail for killing 16-year-old Aiden Gossage in Long Beach.
Court records do not show that Haq has entered a plea. She is free on her own recognizance, and is due back in court on June 12, the records show.
Salgado said she and her family will be watching the process closely and “trying my best to seek justice” for her father.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information from Salgado.