San Francisco driver charged with murder of family at West Portal bus stop

Alex Baker and Amy Larson

2 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco’s police chief and district attorney said a driver who allegedly killed an entire family at a West Portal bus stop will be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

A family of four was waiting at the bus stop to go to the zoo when they were struck by an SUV on March 16. Investigators said the driver, 78-year-old Mary Fong Lau, was speeding and heading the wrong way into oncoming traffic when her white Mercedes SUV went over a curb and crashed into the Muni Metro West Portal Station.

Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, 40, his wife Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto, 38, and their two children, one-year-old Joaquin Ramos Pinto de Oliveira and two-month-old Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira, were killed.

After the accident, Lau was hospitalized, arrested and released from custody. On Tuesday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins explained to reporters why it took three months for charges to be filed.

“I want to thank the public and the families (of the victims) for their patience in allowing police to conduct a very thorough investigation. Of course, everyone wants to know the outcome. Part of the investigation process was to identify alternative causes for the accident. We wanted to make sure there was not a medical or (mechanical) problem with the vehicle … to make sure those factors did not lead to this accident,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said her office will file four counts of involuntary manslaughter against Lau — one count for each family member’s death. The collision was caused by the driver’s “gross negligence” and “excessive speed,” Jenkins said.

“We looked at every aspect of the accident,” said Bill Scott, chief of the San Francisco Police. The driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Scott said. Mechanical defects were also ruled out as factors.

Scott said his officers have an arrest warrant and are currently taking Lau into custody. Jail records show Lau was not yet in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.

“We are working with Lau’s attorney to take her into custody,” the police chief told reporters.

Scott said the deaths of an infant, a baby and their parents were “horrific” and that the incident had impacted “the entire city of San Francisco.” He added: “Many people have been traumatized by this incident. Four people have lost their lives. That is what is on all of our hearts.”

The victims’ family wrote in an earlier statement to KRON4: “Diego and Matilde were warm and loving parents who loved their beautiful children very much and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with their two little boys. They were also what you would call true ‘life improvers’ – the kind of people everyone enjoyed being around.”