Livermore community outraged over crash that killed mom, baby

LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- Outrage is growing in the East Bay over a crash that killed a mother and her young daughter one week ago.

A community gathering was held Saturday to remember the victims who lost their lives to a suspected drunk driver.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving held this day of remembrance to talk about the issues of driving drunk and to remember two victims whose loss has the Livermore community asking why.

"You remember her beautiful daughter, Juli was taken from us tragically," Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesperson Natasha Thomas said.

Last Saturday, a family gathering taking place when a Corvette driven by Livermore resident Brian Jones, 35, suddenly jumped the curb and crashed into Esperanza Morales, 46, and her 14-month-old daughter Juli Morales in the 900 block of Murrieta Boulevard just before 6:50 p.m.

Police say the suspect attended the Livermore Wine Country Festival before the crash, which is about a half mile away.

According to authorities, Jones had a 0.14 percent blood content, which is more than the legal limit.

Gil Morales says he wants justice for his wife and daughter, who were visiting from Seaside near Monterey. "This weekend is mom's day, you know and now we're not going to have our family together. Now, our family is broke," Angel Martinez said.

"DUI crashes and fatalities are 100 percent preventable and it's time for all of us to take responsibility, not only for ourselves, but also each other," Thomas said.

"This was a crash, not an accident because when you drink and get behind the wheel, it's a weapon," Isabel Gutierrez said.

Many are outraged Jones is out on bail and has yet to be formally charged. "Angry? Well he's a murderer," one woman said.

"We know that our community's looking, trying to say 'hey what's up, what's going to happen with this?' They want information and all we can say right now is have a little bit of patience, it's coming," Livermore Police Department Lt. John Hurd said.

A memorial at the site of the crash continues to grow.

A GoFundMe account has been launched to help the family. Click here if you'd like to help.