73-Year-Old Murrieta Woman Killed In Crash, Temecula Man Arrested

MURRIETA, CA — A Temecula man is suspected of driving under the influence and causing a crash that killed a Murrieta woman.

Anthony Scott, 29, was booked into Southwest Detention Center early Thursday morning on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter/intoxication and DUI causing injury/death — both felonies. His bail was listed at $75,000, which he posted Thursday, jail records show.

At 11:47 p.m. Wednesday, the Murrieta Police Department received a 911 call about a two-vehicle crash on Hancock Avenue, just south of Parkcrest Drive.

A preliminary investigation by police showed Scott was driving on Hancock and veered into oncoming traffic before crashing head-on into a vehicle in which 73-year-old Belinda Baliton of Murrieta was a passenger.

Baliton was critically injured in the wreck and sent to Wildomar's Inland Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The man behind the wheel of the vehicle carrying Baliton was hospitalized with injuries. He required emergency surgery but is expected to survive, police said.

Murrieta police officers conducted a DUI test on Scott and determined he was under the influence. Jail records show he was arrested at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and released about three hours later.

Anyone with information about the incident who has not already talked to police is asked to call Murrieta Police Traffic Investigator Anthony Datil at 951-461-6397 or adatil@murrietaca.gov or Traffic Bureau Sgt. Steve Whiddon at 951-461-6323 or swhiddon@murrietaca.gov.