Driver in Boy’s Death Had Prior Conviction : Fatality: Orange motorist, 62, who ran onto a sidewalk and killed a baby, was involved in a drunk-driving case six years ago.

ORANGE — A 62-year-old driver who swerved onto a sidewalk and hit a 22-month-old boy and his mother, killing the baby, had at least one prior drunk-driving conviction, authorities said Tuesday.

The driver, identified as Jose Ray Sanchez Chavez of Orange, has been ordered to appear today in Municipal Court in Santa Ana on charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and driving under the influence of alcohol, Sheriff’s Department Lt. Richard J. Olson said.

This was Chavez’s second drunk-driving arrest in the past six years, authorities said. After his 1986 conviction, Chavez’s driver’s license was suspended for three years.

Orange Police Lt. Ed Tunstall said that on Monday, Juana Sanchez Jacome of Orange was walking on the sidewalk in the 100 block of South Hewes Street with her son at 6:34 p.m.

Chavez was driving on Hewes near Chapman Avenue when he lost control of the van. It veered to the right, jumped the curb and hit Jacome and her son, Jorge Luiz Jacome, Tunstall said.

The mother and son were taken to nearby Chapman General Hospital, where they were initially treated. The boy was then transferred to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where he was pronounced dead, Tunstall said. The mother has been released from the hospital.

On Tuesday, Desiree Quiroz, 32, who lives near the accident scene, said she heard the crash and ran outside.

“I saw the mother with the little child in her arms. She was crying. She gave me her telephone number to call her brother.”

Quiroz said Chavez got out of his van and tried to comfort the mother.

“He felt very, very sad. He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ and put his hand over his heart.”

As Jacome held her child, Quiroz said she saw blood coming from his ear. “He was crying and saying that he wanted his daddy,” she related. “It was terrible.”

Robert Miller Jr., 23, who helps his parents run the Alameda Market at 122 S. Hewes St., said a crowd rushed to help the victims. “Everybody here is pretty much in shock, in disbelief,” he added.

He said that Jacome and her child were familiar customers at the store.

“A couple of her family (members) came around and asked (my parents) what they should do. They don’t have any kind of money to bury the child,” Miller said.

Chavez was administered a blood-alcohol test at the Orange Police Station and transferred to Orange County Jail, where he was booked and held in lieu of $25,000 bail Tuesday morning, officials said. The results of the test were not available Tuesday night.