Orange County family mourns great-grandmother killed by DUI driver

A beloved great-grandmother was driving home from church services early morning on Jan. 1, her family said, when she was hit head-on by a DUI driver and later died in the hospital.

“She was only 10 more minutes away from making it home safely,” the victim’s family members wrote on a GoFundMe page. “She left us praising the lord until her last day.”

The crash happened around 1:45 a.m. at Marguerite Parkway and Pueblonuevo Drive in Mission Viejo, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The driver, 26-year-old Geraldine Caicedo-Perez, is now facing DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter charges – meanwhile, family members of the victim, 66-year-old Ynes Lagunes-Soto, are mourning her tragic passing.

“The lady was my mother and I am very sad because she didn’t deserve to die, to be killed by that person who wasn’t well,” the victim’s daughter, Monica Lagunes, told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe.

Family members said Lagunes-Soto, who lived in San Juan Capistrano and worked for 25 years as a housekeeper, always put family first and was happiest surrounded by her many loved ones.

“For me, it is something that I will not get over and I am very angry with the person who caused this accident,” said Lagunes. “I would want them to pay for everything that they did.”

According to the sheriff’s department, Caicedo-Perez is being held at the Orange County Jail. Her bail and next court date were not immediately made available.

“We’re maintaining our faith,” said Lagunes-Soto’s grandson, Emmanuel Heredia. “I think God has a plan for us and for her as well.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the deadly collision and said anyone with information or evidence should contact the department.