SACRAMENTO, CA — A family in South Sacramento is grieving after a cemetery crash killed a 1-year-old girl during a Día de los Muertos gathering and left her father in the intensive care unit with serious injuries.
The child, Janessa Milagro Mazur Diaz, had just turned 1 the previous Friday, according to her mother, Jackline Patino Diaz. The crash happened Sunday afternoon inside the cemetery at 21st Avenue and 65th Street Expressway.
Patino Diaz said the family had been together in a happy moment before the collision. She described the loss as sudden and devastating, saying the child was gone after what had been a normal family visit.
Mother says family was celebrating the child’s first birthday days earlier
Patino Diaz said the family had recently celebrated Janessa’s first birthday and were still in a joyful mood when tragedy struck. She said there was no sign of conflict or trouble before the crash.
“We were just celebrating, never in a bad mood,” Diaz said.
That detail has added to the family’s shock, turning what had been a milestone week into one defined by grief. The birthday celebration, followed by a holiday gathering at the cemetery, now stands in painful contrast to the emergency that followed.
Janessa’s death has drawn attention because the incident happened in a place where families had gathered to remember loved ones. Instead, one family left with a loss they say they never could have imagined.
Father remains in the ICU with broken ribs, skull fracture and other injuries
The child’s father was also struck in the crash and remains hospitalized in the ICU, according to Patino Diaz. She said he suffered broken ribs, a fractured nose and a fractured skull.
Patino Diaz described the moment she had to tell him their daughter had died. She said he first asked where the baby was when she came into the room.
“The first thing he asked me when I walked in the room was, ‘Where’s my baby?’ and I had to tell him she was gone,” Diaz said.
Her account underscores how quickly the family’s situation changed from a holiday gathering to a medical emergency with lasting consequences. The father’s injuries remain part of the broader toll from the crash, which left one parent grieving and the other fighting to recover.
Driver accused of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI causing injury
Authorities identified the driver as 50-year-old Miguel Guzman. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to the information released about the case.
Guzman faces charges including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing injury, hit-and-run and child endangerment. Those allegations place the crash at the center of a serious criminal case as investigators and prosecutors move forward.
The charge list indicates officials believe alcohol played a role in the collision and that the aftermath included both a fatality and injuries. The hit-and-run allegation also suggests the driver did not remain at the scene after the crash.
No additional details about the circumstances of the collision were included in the information released, including how the crash unfolded inside the cemetery.
Día de los Muertos gathering turned into a scene of grief and emergency
The crash happened during Día de los Muertos, a day when families often gather at cemeteries to honor relatives who have died. In this case, the cemetery became the site of a new and deeply personal tragedy.
Patino Diaz said the family had simply been sitting at the cemetery when the collision occurred. She described the driver as coming through the area and running over her daughter.
Her account captures how a holiday meant for remembrance turned into a scene of panic and mourning. Instead of flowers, candles and family memories, the day ended with emergency response, a child’s death and a father rushed to intensive care.
The location of the crash has also made the incident especially painful for relatives, who were gathered in a place associated with reflection and family tradition.
Family now faces grief, medical recovery and a court case
The family’s immediate focus is on mourning Janessa and supporting the father as he recovers from his injuries. Patino Diaz’s comments show the emotional strain of having to explain the child’s death while also coping with the father’s condition.
The court appearance scheduled for Tuesday will be an early step in the legal process for Guzman. For the family, however, the larger reality is already fixed: a first birthday just celebrated, a child lost days later and a parent hospitalized with lasting injuries.
Cases like this often leave families balancing shock, medical care and legal proceedings all at once. Here, those burdens are unfolding alongside the memory of a holiday gathering that ended in tragedy instead of comfort.
For Janessa’s relatives, the most immediate story is not the case itself, but the absence left behind by a child who had only just turned 1.
Court date set as investigators continue to piece together what happened
Guzman’s scheduled court appearance Tuesday is expected to be the next public step in the case. The charges already announced suggest prosecutors are treating the crash as a serious alleged intoxication-related fatal collision.
Officials have not publicly provided a fuller account of the moments before the crash inside the cemetery. For now, the known facts are the child’s death, the father’s injuries and the criminal allegations tied to the driver.
As the case moves into court, the family is left with memories of Janessa’s recent birthday and the painful conversation that followed the crash. The outcome will be watched closely in Sacramento, where the incident has already left a visible mark on a grieving family and community gathering place.
