Man, 24, Charged In Meth-Fueled Crash That Killed 1 Woman In OC

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A 24-year-old man was charged Tuesday with a killing a woman while allegedly speeding away in a stolen SUV while high on methamphetamine in Anaheim.

Eric Matthew Martinez was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit and run with permanent and serious injury, theft with a prior felony conviction of driving or taking of a vehicle, driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, all felonies, as well as a misdemeanor count of driving while addicted to a drug.

Martinez also faces sentencing enhancements for allegedly fleeing the scene after committing a vehicular manslaughter and inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.

He is accused of killing 44-year-old Jana Goulding on Saturday, according to court records.

Anaheim police responded to the fatal crash at about 1:20 a.m. that day in the 700 block of North East Street, Sgt. Jon McClintock said.

Placentia police had been pursuing the driver of the stolen vehicle, who lost control and crashed on East Street, McClintock said. But Placentia police were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the collision, he added.

Anaheim police arrested the suspect at about 9:10 a.m. after responding to a report of a suspicious person at a church in the 1400 block of East La Palma Avenue, McClintock said.

Martinez is accused in the criminal complaint of speeding, making unsafe lane changes, and driving the wrong way in the stolen 2012 BMW. The defendant pleaded guilty Feb. 23, 2022, to theft with a prior felony conviction of driving or taking of a vehicle and buying or receiving a stolen vehicle or equipment, both misdemeanors, according to court records.