A 26-year-old woman who was arrested in August for allegedly driving into and killing an Australian tourist while he was crossing a Downtown street with his family has been charged with one count of murder, police said Monday.
Cara Cameron of Westchester, Calif. was arraigned on Sept. 21 in Los Angeles Superior Court. At that time the District Attorney's Office filed the murder charge as a result of Cameron's 2007 conviction for an alcohol-related traffic collision.
When Cameron was arrested in Santa Monica on Aug. 21, police believed she was driving under the influence.
Following her arraignment, Cameron was remanded into the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with a bail of $1 million, police said. She posted bail later that day and was released. Her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 29.
Police said Cameron was driving her 2005 Ford Focus east on the 300 block of Colorado Avenue around 8:20 p.m. when she hit Gary Robert Mara, 50, as he and his wife and daughter were in a crosswalk against a red "Don't Walk" signal. Mara succumbed to his injuries shortly after the collision. His daughter suffered minor injuries.
Cameron was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence and manslaughter.
The Mara family was visiting Santa Monica as part of a vacation to celebrate the man's 50th birthday and the couple's 10th wedding anniversary.
Anyone with information on the collision are urged to contact investigator Chris Dawson at (310) 458-8954 or the watch commander at (310) 458-8495.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting their website at www.lacrimestoppers.org. If the information leads to an arrest, the tipster is eligible to receive a reward up to $1,000.
