Serial Drunken Driver Charged With Murder Of Newport Beach Man

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A 27-year-old convicted drunken driver was charged Tuesday with killing a 74-year-old man in a crash in Costa Mesa.

Stewart Waithanji was charged with single felony counts each of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08

The charges included single felony counts each of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or more as well as two misdemeanor counts of hit and run with property damage.

His arraignment Tuesday in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana was rescheduled for April 30.

Kimberly Edds of the Orange County District Attoreny's Office described the events, saying Waithanji was involved in a hit-and-run collision in Newport Beach before Saturday's fatal crash.

About 4 p.m., Saturday, police were called to another hit-and-run at Newport Boulevard south of 17th Street in Costa Mesa, Edds said.

Waithanji allegedly crashed into a car driven by 74-year-old Richard Frost of Newport Beach, Edds said. When Frost got out of the car and tried to stop Waithanji from driving away Waithanji allegedly ran over the victim and kept going, Edds said.

Frost was taken to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, Edds said.

Waithanji drove his Chevrolet Malibu to a Los Alamitos bar, where police arrested him, Edds said. He was wanted on outstanding warrants related to two other DUI cases in September and October 2019, she added.

Waithanji was convicted in May and August of 2016 and in February 2018 in Iowa of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Normally, a driver accused in a DUI-related fatal crash faces manslaughter charges, but if they have a prior DUI conviction they face an upgraded charge of second-degree murder.