(EASTVALE, January 2020) — Grace Christine Whitman of Rancho Cucamonga was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday for killing a mother in a drunk driving accident in 2018. According to authorities, Whitman was driving a 2016 Subaru Impreza on Schleisman Road when she ran a red light on Scholar Way in Eastvale. She then crashed into a 2005 Toyota Corolla.
The woman inside, Cynthia Michelle Pacheo, died of her injuries at Riverside Community Hospital. Her five-year-old son was severely injured in the crash but survived. Whitman’s blood-alcohol level was .14, twice the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle in California. A toxicology report also indicated the presence of marijuana and anti-anxiety medication in her system.
The family of Pacheo was not satisfied with the punishment. The victim’s older sister said, “Grace is a murderer and deserves much stronger punishment.”