Man faces 10 years in manslaughter case

A Costa Mesa man was in court Thursday on charges he was driving drunk in Santa Ana and lost control of his car, fatally striking a woman on the sidewalk.

Beau Richard Cook, 26, is charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated and faces up to 10 years in prison.

About 11:30 p.m. Sept. 1, Cook had been drinking and left work in his Scion, driving south on Harbor Boulevard in Santa Ana, according to prosecutors. Officials said he was speeding when he ran a red light at Warner Avenue and lost control of his car. He had swerved to avoid hitting a car making a legal U-turn there, authorities said.

Cook’s Scion allegedly hit the center median and bounced across the southbound lanes up onto a curb where he hit took out a fire hydrant before hitting 57-year-old Eloisa Aguilar, killing her.

Cook had a broken leg and pelvis from the crash. He’s accused of having a blood alcohol level of .08 an hour and a half after the crash.

He’s being held in lieu of $100,00 bail.

Joseph Serna