Police Files

Bail denied for 22-year-old charged with DUI and murder

Attorneys for DUI/murder suspect Grace Coleman, 22, of Newport Beach, were denied bail Tuesday for their client during an arraignment hearing.

Coleman was arrested December 8 in Newport Coast after reportedly crashing into a vehicle occupied by a family after running a red light and killing the driver, Henry Saldana Mejia, 27, and his wife, Gabriela Andrade, 28, both of Santa Ana. The incident also seriously injured the couple’s three young children.

Attorneys Tuesday entered a not guilty plea for Coleman, who is facing five felony counts that include hit-and-run, two for DUI and two counts of second-degree murder. 

The police report also indicated that on the night of the incident that Coleman had been driven home from a local brewery after reportedly drinking excessively, only to then drive the family’s Range Rover soon thereafter. Within minutes of leaving, an accident occurred. Newport Beach Police additionally reported that Coleman attempted to then flee the scene, only to be arrested a short distance away.

Her blood alcohol level was reported at more than .20 according to the criminal complaint.

Another report said that Coleman was arrested on suspicion of DUI three months prior in Laguna Beach. 

Following Tuesday’s appearance in court, she remains in custody on a no-bail hold with a pretrial hearing next scheduled for March 3.

In addition, a wrongful-death lawsuit has also been filed in civil court against Coleman and her parents, James and Kelli Coleman, of Newport Beach. 

Editor’s Note: An arrest contains allegations that a suspect has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Oops, burglar evidently drops one TV, before making off with another

A residential burglary occurred in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 8, in the Cliff Haven community. At approximately 3:45 a.m., an unknown suspect accessed the side of a house in the 300 block of Signal Road, shattering the side window to gain access.

Once inside, the suspect attempted to steal a mounted television from the living room but appeared to have dropped it. The damaged TV was left at the scene. The suspect did remove a different mounted television from another part of the home before fleeing the scene.

The television was the only reported loss.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic female in her late 20s/early 30s, with long brown curly hair, wearing a blue sweatshirt with white lettering, gray sweatpants and blue shoes.

She was associated with a dark colored sedan, possibly a Prius.