Driver who Crashed into MV Home Charged with Murder

The Orange County District Attorney has charged the man suspected of crashing a car into a Mission Viejo house early Sunday morning, killing a man asleep in his bed, with second-degree murder.

Kourosh Keshmiri, 27, of Mission Viejo, faces maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison if convicted, according to a press release from the DA’s office. He is being held on $1 million bail and expected in court Tuesday for an arraignment.

Keshmiri already has one DUI conviction and is currently facing charges from another DUI-related incident from June, the release states.  At the time of his 2010 conviction, he was advised he could face murder charges if “he killed another person while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” according to the press release.

Attorney Christopher Jafari, who represented Keshmiri in both cases, declined comment. He said he would be meeting with Keshmiri's family later today to discuss his client's case.

The press release reveals some new details about the Sunday morning incident, including officially identifying Kenneth Jackson, 60, as the victim.

According to the DA, Keshmiri was driving faster than 50 mph down Pacato Drive when he lost control of the late-model Cadillac and crashed into the home.

“When Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived, the defendant is accused of displaying objective signs of intoxication and performed poorly on a field sobriety test,” the DA said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.