A woman was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a grandfather in Orange County.
The suspect was identified as Francis Guadalupe Tercero-Benavides, 24, of Anaheim, according to the Irvine Police Department.
On May 9, 2024, the victim, Allen Yangkaou Lee, 67, was driving northbound on Culver Drive towards Trabuco Road in Irvine at around 4:30 p.m.
As he passed an intersection, dash cam video captured the suspect’s vehicle jutting out and making a right turn against a red light. The sudden movement forced Allen to swerve so he would avoid crashing into her.
The swerve caused Allen to lose control of his car before it flipped over. His vehicle collided with a center median, a tree and a light pole before landing on its roof.
Tercero-Benavides, who was driving a beige Honda Civic, did not stop to help Lee and fled the scene. Paramedics rushed Lee to the hospital where he died from his injuries on May 13.
As detectives continued searching for Tercero-Benavides, two days later, they received tips from the public that helped locate her Honda Civic parked on a residential street in Great Park.
Inside the car, identification documents belonging to Tercero-Benavides were found. Detectives worked to locate the woman, but the task proved difficult as she reportedly moved around frequently.
On July 3, 2025, she was located and arrested in the 1600 block of Anaheim Boulevard in Anaheim. She was booked at the Orange County Jail for vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run charges.
“The Irvine Police Department thanks those who provided critical tips that helped lead to the arrest of Tercero-Benavides,” department officials said.
Family members described Lee as a loving father and grandfather who always brought joy to those in his life.
“He was such a generous and very caring man,” said Elaine Lee, the victim’s daughter. “He was everything. It was so sudden and it really does feel like there is a hole. He was ripped from our lives unfairly.”
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