Coroners Identify Man Killed in Cathedral City DUI Crash

Cathedral City, CA Authorities identified a man who was killed in a crash in Cathedral City involving a motorist who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Miguel Villanueva Munguia, 26, of Cathedral City died at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 2:40 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Whispering Palms Trail and McCallum Way, according to Cathedral City police Cmdr. Julio Luna and the Riverside County coroner’s office. Story: Second Shooting In Two Days Leaves One Dead in Desert Hot Springs Jose Bustamante Meza, 19, of Cathedral City was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI, Luna said. He was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning in lieu of $500,000 bail and is expected to appear in Indio court Tuesday. Meza was behind the wheel of a Jeep Cherokee that ran a stop sign at McCallum Way and slammed into the passenger side of a Ford Mustang that was headed north on Whispering Palms Trail and that was "lawfully in the intersection," Luna said. Story: 7-Month-Old Dies at Local Daycare, Police Investigate Munguia was a passenger in the Mustang, whose driver was treated for unspecified injuries, authorities said. Luna alleged Meza was "traveling at an excessive speed" and was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the crash. He was treated for minor injuries before being arrested early Thursday at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash was urged to call the Cathedral City Police Department at (760) 770-0343.