East County News Service

October 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The hopes and dreams of Nadia Charles, 19, and Junior Joseph Juste, 20, cousins who came to America from Haiti seeking a better life, were snuffed out on New Year’s morning when two vehicles collided in Lemon Grove. The crash pushed one of the vehicles into the two cousins, who were pedestrians crossing the street at Buena Vista and Broadway.

Now, 10 months later, charges have been filed against Victor Zuniga, 20. Authorities allege that he was on his phone at the time of the crash. He is charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, as well as reckless driving that resulted in serious injury to another driver. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up eight years in prison.