Spring Valley man indicted on further charges after sidewalk crash kills 4-year-old girl
Axel I. Lopez-Santiago, 41, has been charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault, one count of driving while intoxicated as a felony and one count of reckless driving.
Lopez-Santiago is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment on Friday, June 27, before County Court Judge Djinsad Desir in the County Courthouse in New City.
Lopez-Santiago has been held in the county jail since his arrest on $750,000 cash bail set after the fatal incident. He would face a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge.
Lopez-Santigato is accused of recklessly driving his motor vehicle at a high rate of speed as he traveled east on Old Nyack Turnpike in Spring Valley on June 14, the Rockland District Attorney's Office said in a news release on Thursday, June 26.
Lopez-Santiago's vehicle veered across the double yellow line and into the opposite lane and off the road onto the pedestrian sidewalk near the entrance to Kennedy Park, the release stated. His vehicle struck at least four people before crashing into a tree.
The girl who died was the daughter of Spring Valley Village Trustee Yisroel Eisenbach. Eisenbach, formerly Spring Valley's former deputy mayor, was instrumental in a plan to refurbish Kennedy Park's play area.
More on Spring Valley crash: 4-year-old Spring Valley girl killed by car while walking on sidewalk; 3 others injured
A 31-year-old man and a 5-year-old boy suffered serious injuries. The police investigation revealed that Lopez-Santiago was intoxicated, authorities said. Another boy, 2, also suffered injuries.
All four were taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, Spring Valley police reported.
The investigation was conducted by the Spring Valley Police Department, with the assistance of officers from the Ramapo Police Department and the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant District Attorney Sharleen Bailon and Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugandzic of the Vehicular Crimes Unit.
A spate of pedestrian crashes has rattled residents of the village of Spring Valley and the town of Ramapo. More than 20 pedestrians had been hit by vehicles across Ramapo from September 2024 through April 2025, police have reported.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Spring Valley driver hit with further charges after crash kills girl
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
12 minutes ago
- CBS News
35 people charged in "dismantling" of Norristown drug rings that flooded Montco with crack cocaine, DA says
July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief July 4 events proceeding as scheduled in Philadelphia despite DC33 strike | Digital Brief Thirty-five people were criminally charged Tuesday after a monthslong investigative operation targeting the drug market in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a news release. Hundreds of pages of court documents show how "Operation Cocaine Goldmine" used wiretaps, confidential informants, controlled buys and other surveillance to track three drug trafficking organizations in Norristown — the county seat — from late 2024 to June 2025. Steele said the investigation took place as opioid and fentanyl use declined, but "cocaine and crack cocaine...[experienced] a resurgence, in part due to the dramatic decline in wholesale cocaine prices." As bulk traffickers, mid-level suppliers, and street-level dealers were able to get easier access to large quantities of the drug due to the price shifts, county detectives worked with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, FBI, DEA and Norristown police on targeting networks operating in Norristown. Steele said the investigation has helped identify "intertwined networks of individuals who are most responsible for the trafficking of bulk quantities of cocaine into Montgomery County." The documents show some dealers were also involved in the illicit dealing of prescription drugs, like Klonopin and Percocet. Seven pounds of powder and crack cocaine, over $138,000 cash and 17 guns were seized during the operation. Steele said the operation and other recent arrests in shootings are "a concerted effort to rid Norristown of this criminal element that will not be tolerated in our county seat. I want to thank our state and federal partners for their ongoing assistance, especially the Attorney General's Office." Alleged ringleaders identified and charged Steele's office identified these five people as the alleged ringleaders of the three drug networks: · Terrell Bailey, 50, of Norristown · Jerome Berry, 32, of Norristown · Malik Noel, 49, of Philadelphia · Oscar Gordon, 37, of Norristown · Donta Wells, 40, of Norristown All of those five have been arrested and charged. Warrants have been issued for seven other people: Denise Baird, Darnell Cotton, Tyya Griffin, Tyleek Lee, Michael Taylor, Curtis Thomas and Cori Wagner.
CBS News
19 minutes ago
- CBS News
Baltimore City homicides and non-fatal shootings down compared to 2024, mid-year report says
Baltimore City saw a 22% decrease in homicides, and a 19% decrease in non-fatal shootings since 2024, according to the Baltimore Police Department's mid-year crime report. The updates come as positive news for city leaders who have been working to curb crime. Baltimore sees continued crime reduction Baltimore's homicides decreased from 88 in 2024 to 68 in 2025, according to the report. Non-fatal shootings decreased from 204 in 2024 to 164 in 2025. Baltimore City had a 23% reduction in homicides, and a 34% decrease in non-fatal shootings between 2023 and 2024. Tackling youth violence has been an ongoing goal of Mayor Brandon Scott, and data is showing positive progress. Teen victims of homicides dropped by 71%, from seven homicides in 2024 to two in 2025. In April, Mayor Scott sat down with WJZ to discuss the city's downward crime trends. He said the city's Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan, which aims to prevent violence with a public health approach, played a major role in reducing crime. Mr. Scott has also praised Baltimore City's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) for helping curb youth violence. The GVRS program aims to provide guidance and engagement to individuals who are at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence. BPD said it also seized more than 1,300 firearms and 150 ghost guns, with an average of seven gun seizures each day. "Our continued progress is the direct result of the comprehensive, evidence-based public safety strategy that we have implemented in partnership with residents," Mayor Brandon M. Scott said. "I want to acknowledge the leadership of our community violence intervention ecosystem, MONSE, the men and women of BPD, our regional law enforcement agencies, and our partners in the State Attorney's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Office of the Attorney General. But our work is far from over." The city's homicide clearance rate, or the percentage of homicides that are solved by law enforcement, has reached 64%. The non-fatal shooting clearance rate is 44%, which is more than 20% higher than BPD's 10-year average, the department said. Other progress for the Baltimore Police Department BPD said it created a new unit, the Missing and Exploited Persons Unit (MEPU), which has assisted in increased enforcement efforts on human trafficking, internet crimes against children, and missing persons cases. The unit has made 24 arrests this year, compared to seven this time last year. BPD also said it has become compliant with two sections of its Federal Consent Decree – Transport, and Health and Wellness. The department also said it has begun the sustainment period for three other areas – Community Oversight Taskforce, First Amendment Protected Activity, and School Police.
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Man Who Killed Paramedic in Random Attack Receives 25 Years to Life
One afternoon in late September 2022, Alison Russo, a lieutenant with the New York City Emergency Medical Service, was walking back to her station in Astoria, Queens, after lunch. Ms. Russo, a 24-year veteran, was a half block from the station when a man charged her, brandishing a knife. He began relentlessly stabbing her, striking her more than 20 times, the police said. The attack was caught on video, and a bystander who had witnessed the stabbing ran to Ms. Russo's station to report the crime. She died of her injuries at a hospital. Ms. Russo, who was posthumously promoted to captain, had been just months shy of retirement. Peter Zisopoulos, the man who stabbed her, was sentenced on Monday to 25 years to life in prison. 'Nothing will bring Captain Russo back,' Melinda Katz, the Queens district attorney, said in a statement. She added that she hoped 'the pain and grief over her loss will lessen with today's sentencing.' New York City's fire commissioner, Robert S. Tucker, in a statement called Ms. Russo 'the best of the best' and 'a longtime public servant and friend who has been missed every single day since her senseless murder in 2022.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
