Suspect In Wildomar Crash That Killed Murrieta Woman Has Prior DUI Convictions

WILDOMAR, CA — More information was released Tuesday afternoon about a two-vehicle crash this week in Wildomar that left a Murrieta woman dead and a Hemet woman behind bars.

The crash was reported at 9:06 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Clinton Keith Road and Palomar Street, just west of Interstate 15, according to Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Deirdre Vickers.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they found a woman in the road with significant injuries. The victim, identified Tuesday afternoon by the coroner's office as 56-year-old Debra Amicay of Murrieta, died at the scene.

One driver was extricated from the wreckage and transported to a local hospital in critical condition, and the second driver, identified as 33-year-old Erica Pearl Machuca of Hemet, was determined to be driving under the influence, according to the sheriff's department.

It's unclear which vehicle Amicay was in.

Jail records show Machuca was arrested at 9:40 p.m. Monday and remains in custody at Banning's Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of murder and DUI causing injury. She is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is due in court Dec. 1.

Riverside County court records show Machuca has prior DUI offenses. She was convicted in August 2023 of misdemeanor driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

It wasn't her first DUI offense. In August 2012, she was convicted of the same.

In the earlier offense, Machuca was ordered to pay fines, sentenced to two days in county jail, and placed on probation for 36 months. When she reoffended, she was essentially handed the same sentence: fines, one day in county jail, and 36 months of probation.

During Monday night's crash investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department closed both Clinton Keith Road and Palomar Street.

No further details were immediately released.