LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Angelo Rodriguez, a former California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer, and Iris Salmeron, a suspected drunk driver, have been charged with murder in connection to a deadly crash on the 605 Freeway that killed four people last summer. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on Monday, March 16, 2026.
Details of the Incident
The fatal crash occurred on July 20, 2025, around 1 a.m. when Rodriguez, who was no longer working with the CHP, allegedly drove more than 130 mph without justification. Rodriguez was said to have struck a car containing four people.
Prosecutors claim that after the collision, Rodriguez pulled into the emergency lane and waited for about three minutes before exiting the freeway and reporting the crash to dispatch — but failed to mention his involvement in the incident. He reportedly continued to drive away from the scene.
The victims’ car was left disabled and stranded after the collision. At that point, Salmeron, who was driving drunk, collided with the stranded vehicle, driving at more than 100 mph.
The crash caused a fiery explosion, killing Juliana Hamori, 23, Armand Del Campo, 24, Jordan Partridge, 23, and Samantha Skocilic, 22.
Additional Charges
Salmeron, 27, faces four counts of murder, as well as charges for driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher, resulting in injury. She and a passenger in her car were severely injured in the crash and taken to the hospital.
Victims’ Family Reactions
The victims’ families are grappling with the loss. Juliana Hamori’s aunt, Kathy Stickel, shared that Jordan Partridge had called his mother after the initial collision with the CHP vehicle.
“And in the middle of a sentence, the line went dead,” Stickel said. Del Campo was Hamori’s boyfriend, and the families have been left devastated by the loss.
A GoFundMe campaign, started by Stickel and Partridge’s aunt Ashley Boyd, has raised over $40,000 to help the families memorialize the victims.
Legal Consequences
Both Rodriguez and Salmeron face up to life in prison if convicted of the charges. Prosecutors have recommended that bail be set at $8 million, with each defendant currently held on $4 million bail. Arraignment for the two suspects is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17.
District Attorney’s Statement
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman expressed his anger over the case, stating, “This horrific tragedy could have been avoided…
These two defendants are now inextricably linked because they consciously chose to disregard human life over responsibility, leaving four families grieving and irreparably changing the lives of everyone affected by one night of unimaginable trauma.”
The crash that led to the deaths of Juliana Hamori, Armand Del Campo, Jordan Partridge, and Samantha Skocilic has led to serious charges against Angelo Rodriguez and Iris Salmeron. Both defendants face a long road ahead, with their actions resulting in the tragic loss of four young lives.
