Prosecutors allege the 61-year-old driver’s blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit after three women were killed.
LOS ANGELES — A Valley Village man has been charged with three counts of murder after prosecutors said he drove drunk and crashed a minivan onto a North Hollywood sidewalk, killing three women and seriously injuring two other people near a busy Metro station.
Ihor Demianenko, 61, also faces one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and one felony count of driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher causing injury, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said his blood-alcohol concentration was more than three times California’s legal limit after the Nov. 10 crash. The charges mark a significant step in a case that began with Demianenko’s arrest on suspicion of DUI and murder after the deadly rush-hour collision.
The District Attorney’s Office identified the women who died as Francesca Krystine Esker, 39; Teodora De Jesus Villalobos, 57; and Maria Angelica Peck, 73. All three were killed at the scene. Two other victims were taken to hospitals with serious injuries. Community members have described some of the women as longtime street vendors who regularly worked near the North Hollywood Metro station, an area where commuters, pedestrians and food vendors gather along the sidewalk.
Prosecutors said the crash happened at about 5:50 p.m. near Lankershim and Chandler boulevards. Demianenko was allegedly speeding when his minivan went onto the sidewalk and struck several pedestrians near the station entrance. Los Angeles police earlier said the vehicle had been traveling south on Lankershim Boulevard at an unsafe speed before leaving the roadway. Investigators have continued reviewing evidence from the scene, including available video, as they work to establish the sequence of events before the collision.
Police said Demianenko was trapped inside the vehicle after the crash and had to be removed before being taken to a hospital. He did not suffer serious injuries, prosecutors said. Authorities initially arrested him on suspicion of felony DUI and three counts of murder. The District Attorney’s Office filed the formal criminal case on Nov. 13, adding the two DUI-related felony counts to the three murder charges.
Demianenko remained in custody with bail set at $6.13 million, according to prosecutors. He is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 16 in Van Nuys. An arraignment is the court proceeding at which charges are formally presented and a defendant can enter a plea. The District Attorney’s Office said Demianenko could face up to 54 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Demianenko is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The murder charges make the case more serious than a standard DUI prosecution. California prosecutors can pursue a murder charge in some fatal impaired-driving cases when they believe the facts and a defendant’s prior knowledge or conduct support an allegation of implied malice. Prosecutors have not publicly laid out all of the evidence they intend to use to support the murder counts against Demianenko. The criminal complaint and future court proceedings are expected to provide more detail about the legal theory behind those charges.
The collision unfolded during the evening commute outside one of the San Fernando Valley’s busiest transit locations. Witnesses and local residents described a chaotic scene after the minivan entered an area occupied by pedestrians and food vendors. Emergency crews pronounced three women dead and transported other victims for treatment. In the days afterward, mourners brought flowers and other memorial items to the area as the North Hollywood community remembered the women who were killed.
Villalobos had sold food near the intersection for about two decades, according to relatives and local reporting. Her family described her as independent, hardworking and generous to people who could not always afford a meal. Residents and customers also remembered the women as familiar faces in a neighborhood where vendors have long served commuters and others passing through the Metro station area.
Police initially said they would conduct a deliberate investigation and review video to determine exactly what happened before the crash. The filing of charges answers one major question about how prosecutors intend to proceed, but the case remains at an early stage. Evidence concerning the vehicle’s movement, Demianenko’s alleged impairment and the circumstances immediately before the collision can be examined as the case moves through court.
Demianenko is due in Van Nuys court Nov. 16 for arraignment. The two surviving victims were reported to have suffered serious injuries, and authorities had not announced a final resolution of their medical conditions. The Los Angeles Police Department remains the investigating agency, while a specialized DUI prosecution unit in the District Attorney’s Office is handling the criminal case.
Author note: Last updated November 14, 2026.