The wife of an Alameda County sheriff’s deputy, who is charged with the death of a 3-year-old boy in a DUI crash in San Ramon last year, faced a judge for the first time on Tuesday.
After turning herself in to the authorities on Monday, Yarenit Malihan of Pleasanton pleaded not guilty to a felony gross vehicular manslaughter charge. The 40-year-old woman's bail is set at $3 million and her next court hearing is scheduled for June 15.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office filed the vehicular manslaughter charge and a felony DUI charge in connection with a collision that killed Elijah Dunn on Interstate 680 near Bollinger Canyon Road at about 6:20 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2016.
Malihan was allegedly driving a 2008 Toyota Sequoia north on Highway 680 — while under the influence — when she crashed into a 2007 Toyota Camry that was parked on the shoulder of the highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
When asked about the lengthy process of filing the charges, Deputy District Attorney Allison Chandler said, "The case is still currently under investigation and we're making sure we are making the right charging decisions as we proceed."
Malihan was arrested earlier in 2016 on suspicion of a DUI in Pleasanton that involved endangering her own child, police said. Last week, in a separate case, the woman was arrested for public intoxication, also in Pleasanton.
Malihan is in custody at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez. Prosecutors said she faces up to 11 years in state prison if she's convicted of all the charges and enhancements against her.
