Woman charged with murder in fatal crash in Dana Point

A Los Angeles woman accused of leading police on a pursuit that ended in a deadly crash in Dana Point last week has been charged with murder and driving under the influence.

Charges were filed Monday, Aug. 24, against Ariana Joyce, 44, according to Orange County court records.

She was charged with felony counts each of murder and driving under the influence of drugs causing injury. She also faces a sentence enhancement for committing an offense while released from custody, the charges show.

Details were not immediately available about any previous case against Joyce.

She was arrested following her release from the hospital after the Wednesday, Aug. 19 crash and being held in lieu of $1 million bail, jail records show.

Joyce, in a Toyota Corolla, was being pursued by Laguna Beach police. Officers stopped pursuing her after a while but she crashed into a Subaru Impreza shortly after in Dana Point at around 10:35 p.m., according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

A Laguna Beach police spokesman said Tuesday he did not immediately know details about the pursuit and why officers stopped chasing the car.

The three young people in the Subaru were driving home after playing music at Strands Beach.

Jason Carbonell, 23, of Rancho Santa Margarita was cut out of the Subaru and later died at a hospital. His twin brother, Brian, had severe injuries and was recovering at a hospital. Brian’s girlfriend, Mayly Willey, had a minor ankle injury.