In Phoenix, a home was ravaged when a man accused of drunk driving plowed his truck into the structure. Meanwhile, after a violent car crash in Victorville, a family is desperate to find their dog that was catapulted out of the vehicle during the collision.
The Phoenix family experienced a narrow escape when Manuel Laynez Asicona, already wanted for a DUI in another state, allegedly drove into their home. "Twenty minutes earlier, he would’ve killed my grandkids. They were on that floor crawling," Rita Perkins, the homeowner, said in a statement obtained by Arizona's Family. Perkins, who has been battling breast cancer and had just received chemo the morning of the accident, further told Arizona's Family, "I thought it was a tornado that hit my home. My house shook, dust flew everywhere." The 91-year-old matriarch of the family was injured but expected to fully recover.
Asicona now faces charges of aggravated DUI with passengers under 15, a felony, and was released with conditions without bail set. According to court documents, Asicona had a 3-year-old girl in the backseat of his truck at the time of the crash, and she did not have a proper car seat.
Approximately 350 miles away, another family's ordeal began early in the morning on Mariposa Road in Victorville, when Angela Buck's car was hit, overturning several times leading to their pet dog being ejected. "After the crash, a bystander observed the dog running toward Green Tree Blvd," Buck said in a statement obtained by Victor Valley News. Angela and her son sustained no major injuries, but their "top priority is to find our baby," reflecting the deep emotional bond with their lost animal.
The Buck family has released pictures of the accident and their missing dog, hoping the local community will assist in locating their beloved companion. Anyone with information on these events is encouraged to reach out with leads or support as both families navigate the arduous road to recovery.
