Rancho Cucamonga woman faces murder charge after crash at Day Creek and Wilson

Julia Kunkel, 32, is accused of intentionally crashing her car into an occupied vehicle on Sunday night in Rancho Cucamonga. The collision occurred just before 9 p.m. at the intersection of Day Creek Boulevard and Wilson Avenue.

The crash involved three vehicles. Four people inside one car were injured. They included Leslie De Belen, 40; a 61-year-old woman; a 38-year-old man; and a 6-month-old girl. All four were hospitalized. De Belen later died at the hospital.

Kunkel was also hospitalized with injuries. The driver of the third vehicle in the collision was not injured. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said investigators determined Kunkel intentionally caused the crash. They have not yet explained what indicated the collision was deliberate or what Kunkel’s motives were.

Authorities said it was unclear if Kunkel knew the victims before the crash. The extent of injuries for Kunkel and the surviving victims was not clear as of Tuesday night.

Kunkel will be arrested and booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder once she is released from the hospital. She currently resides in Oceanside.