Sentencing Delayed For Sheriff's Detective

Sentencing was rescheduled today until next month for a San Diego County sheriff's detective accused of driving drunk in a pair of Palm Desert crashes.

Barbara Jean Crozier, 48, pleaded guilty on March 7 to one count of not reporting an accident, two counts of DUI with injury, two counts of hit-and-run property damage and two counts of DUI.

Crozier, who is free on $50,000 bail, appeared in court today for sentencing, which was put off until April 20 at the request of her attorney.

Witnesses told Riverside County sheriff's deputies that a vehicle driven by a woman struck several parked cars and ran over a pedestrian's foot at an apartment complex parking lot at Fred Waring Drive and Town Center Way last Aug. 30.

"(The victim) yelled at the female driver, whom he could see clearly through the driver's-side window, to stop,'' according to a declaration in support of arrest warrant. "He yelled, 'Stop! You ran over my foot!' He said the female driver then drove away south ... without stopping to render aid or see if he was injured.''

The witnesses gave investigators a description of the vehicle and its license plate number, said sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja.

Later that night, deputies received a call that a vehicle had crashed into a water fountain at the entrance of the Marrakesh Country Club at 47-000 Marrakesh Drive.

The license plate of the vehicle matched the one from the hit- and-run, Borja said.

Crozier had "an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her and through her own admonition she had consumed several alcoholic beverages prior to being involved in a traffic collision,'' according to the declaration.

Crozier was booked at the Indio jail on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving while intoxicated and released on bail.

The detective, who was assigned to the Santee substation at the time of her arrest, remains an employee of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, spokeswoman Melissa Aquino said.

She said she could not comment further, citing confidentiality of personnel records.