A man accused of killing a 19-month-old girl while driving drunk in City Heights last weekend had his Wednesday arraignment delayed because he is currently under "enhanced observation watch," according to a court bailiff.
Margarito Angeles Vargas, 45, was supposed to be arraigned Wednesday on charges of murder, driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.
Enhanced observation watch is for detainees who are under suicide watch or experiencing another kind of medical issue. The specifics are confidential, so it's not clear why Vargas is under advanced observation in jail.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Police say he was behind the wheel when 19-month-old Annaleeh Rodarte, whose nickname is Nanneeh, walked into the street and in the path of Vargas' truck near 39th and Redwood streets on Saturday.
NBC 7 obtained video of a neighbor confronting the suspected driver near the accident site. After the neighbor told him he ran over the little girl, the driver said “You're crazy. You’re crazy.” Police say a witness gave them the license plate number of the Toyota 4Runner, leading to the arrest of Vargas.
At least 15 of Annaleeh's family members were in court Wednesday for the hearing, including her mother.
Local
“We all came down to make sure he sees all of our faces, to make sure he knows this little girl had people who loved her," Carina Rodarte said.
Rodarte described her daughter as a little girl who loved to dance and who would light up the room with her smile.
The family said they will be back Friday wearing the butterfly shirts they made in memory of Nanneeh .
