Man charged with murder in suspected DUI crash that killed 3 near North Hollywood Metro station

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Valley Village man has been charged with murder in connection with a suspected DUI crash that killed three women near the North Hollywood Metro station, prosecutors said.

Ihor Demianenko, 61, was charged Friday with three counts of murder, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He also faces one count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and one count of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher causing injury.

The crash happened just before 6 p.m. Tuesday near Lankershim and Chandler boulevards. Los Angeles police allege Demianenko was driving a white Toyota Sienna at an "unsafe speed" when the vehicle veered to the right, ran off the road and ended up hitting pedestrians and food vendors on the sidewalk.

Prosecutors allege Demianenko had a blood alcohol concentration of more than three times the legal limit of 0.08%.

Three women were pronounced dead at the scene. The District Attorney's Office identified them as Francesca Krystine Esker, 39; Teodora De Jesus Villalobos, 57; and Maria Angelica Peck, 73. Community members said they were street vendors.

Two other victims were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Demianenko is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 16. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday but missed the hearing because of a medical issue.

He remains in custody with bail set at more than $6 million. If convicted as charged, Demianenko faces up to 54 years to life in state prison, according to the DA's office said.

The North Hollywood Relief Fund was set up on GoFundMe to raise money for the families of the victims in partnership with Councilmember Adrin Nazarian and ICON CDC, a nonprofit organization.