Woman charged in death of 7-year-old was above legal drinking limit

Melanie Dostis — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:04:19 -0400

Olivia Mora, charged in the alleged drunk driving death of a 7-year-old girl, was arraigned at Suffolk Superior Court today.

Mora, 36, of Dorchester is accused of fatally striking Brianna Rosales, also of Dorchester, with her vehicle on Onley Street last November. The girl's mother Glendalee Alvarado was also seriously injured in the crash.

Mora was held on a $150,000 cash bail after her arraignment, according to her court docket. She was previously charged in District. She was indicted for several charges including manslaughter by motor vehicle and operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury at Suffolk Superior Court in mid-March.

Nine hours after the crash, Mora's blood-alcohol content was at .125 percent, prosecutors said, according to a report by WCVB. State police experts estimated that at the time of the crash, her blood-alcohol content could have been as high as .386 percent.

The state's legal limit is .08 percent.

The Boston Globe reported Mora entered the courtroom with a cane. Alvarado wept in the gallery, the report said.

Mora's attorney, Joseph Machera, tried to argue that Mora should be released to care for her 4-year-old daughter, WCVB reported. Her daughter is currently in custody of the Department of Children and Families, according to CBS.

A fund was established late last year by Rosales' school to raise money for her $16,000 burial and for other costs.

Mora is due back in court for a pre-trial conference on May 22.

Woman charged in car crash that killed 7-year-old had poor driving history

Melanie Dostis — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 13:22:47 -0500

A woman charged in a deadly car crash that killed a seven-year-old girl is being held on a $1.5 million bail after a hearing early this month, according to a docket from Suffolk Superior Court.

On the afternoon of Nov. 26, Brianna Rosales, 7, of Dorchester was struck by Olivia Mora, 36, also of Dorchester, who was allegedly drunken driving, a statement from Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley's office said.

Mora was behind the wheel of an SUV that jumped the curb at Olney Street in Dorchester and hit Rosales and her mother, 26-year-old Glendalee Alvarado. The mother and daughter were walking home from school, the statement said. Alvarado was injured and Rosales was pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center, the statement added.

Police smelled a strong odor alcohol on Mora. She failed three field sobriety tests, refused a Breathalyzer test and did not carry a Massachusetts license, Conley’s office said.

A statement from Conley said:

“We believe the evidence will show this driver was impaired. If so, this tragedy was 100 percent avoidable. Our hearts break for Brianna’s family and the unimaginable loss they’ve suffered.”

Mora pleaded innocent at her arraignment Nov. 26 in Dorchester District Court, court records show. She was charged with motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence, operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury and operating a motor vehicle with an expired registration. She was ordered held without bail.

Mora allegedly stated her tires were faulty causing her to lose control of the vehicle, according to the statement.

Mora has a driving history that spans a seven-page record of violations in Massachusetts, according to the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles. With incidents starting in 2011, Mora has numerous violations including various speeding, seat belt violations, and failure to stop incidents, with nine incidents occurring overall in Dorchester. She also had her right to operate suspended more than once.

The Concord Monitor reported that Mora had several driving violations in New Hampshire as well, including:

According to her New Hampshire driving record, Mora at one point lived on Branch Avenue in Concord. The record reflects Mora had a number of driving violations including making false statements on her registration, running a red light and a stop sign, and failing to have her car inspected. Her last New Hampshire violation, according to that record, occurred in 2011.

Mora came to Massachusetts in 1999 to attend Babson College and lives in Dorchester with her three-year-old daughter, the Boston Globe reported.

Mora’s past is chronicled in the book “Still We Rise,” a book by Los Angeles Times reporter Miles Corwin who observed for a year a program for gifted students at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles.

According to the book, she was abused by her mother, a runaway, ward of the county and a gifted student.

Mora is due back in Dorchester District Court on Feb. 14, according to the court docket.

A copy of Mora's indictment has been added below.

Brianna Rosales | Homicide Watch Boston

Woman charged in death of 7-year-old was above legal drinking limit

Woman charged in car crash that killed 7-year-old had poor driving history