A mother suspected of drunk driving when her car plunged into the Otay Reservoir — killing her 5-year-old daughter and another child — will face a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16, a judge ordered on Aug. 16.
Arlene Hernandez, 22, of Chula Vista, has previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated involving the Aug. 5 incident when both 5-year-old girls died.
Her daughter, Lesette Hernandez Silva, and her friend, Giuliana Figueroa, drowned despite attempts to bring the girls up by a Border Patrol agent and others. Arlene Hernandez and Giuliana’s father were able to get out of the car, which overturned.
Last week, a new charge of hit and run with injury in an unrelated incident in November 2011 was filed against her in Chula Vista Superior Court. Deputy District Attorney Mary Loeb said the facts of the other incident were not discussed in court. She pleaded not guilty.
Hernandez was also charged with giving false information to police in the other incident. On Aug. 5 she was driving east on Otay Lakes Road when she lost control of her car around 6:15 p.m. and went down an embankment and overturned in the reservoir.
She remains in the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility on $400,000 bail.
