VAN NUYS, Calif. — A 61-year-old Valley Village man was charged on November 13, 2026, with murder in a suspected DUI crash that killed three women and seriously injured two other people near the North Hollywood Metro station, prosecutors announced.
Read the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office release: https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/valley-village-man-charged-murder-suspected-dui-crash-killed-three-women-north-hollywood
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced the charges in case 26VWCF02111.
Ihor Demianenko, 61, of Valley Village, is the defendant named in the release.
Demianenko remains in custody with bail set at $6.13 million, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Three Murder Counts, Two DUI Counts, and a November 16 Arraignment
Demianenko is charged with three felony counts of murder and one felony count each of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher causing injury, according to the release.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on November 16, 2026, in Department 305 of the Van Nuys Courthouse, the District Attorney's Office stated.
If convicted as charged, Demianenko faces up to 54 years to life in state prison, according to the release.
"Once again, an impaired driver has left a trail of carnage on our Los Angeles streets. The victims of this horrific crash included street vendors who were simply trying to earn a living when tragedy struck. My deepest sympathies are with the families of the three women who lost their lives, and I hope the two other victims who were seriously injured make a full recovery," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "No one should lose their life because someone chooses to drink and drive. We will vigorously prosecute this case and seek justice for the victims and their families."
Lankershim and Chandler, a Minivan on the Sidewalk, and Three Women Killed
On November 10, 2026, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Demianenko allegedly was speeding near the intersection of Lankershim and Chandler boulevards when he drove his minivan onto the sidewalk, striking several pedestrians near the North Hollywood Metro station entrance, according to the release.
Francesca Krystine Esker, 39, was killed at the scene, the District Attorney's Office stated.
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Teodora De Jesus Villalobos, 57, was killed at the scene, according to the release.
Maria Angelica Peck, 73, was killed at the scene, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Two additional victims were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the release.
Demianenko, who did not sustain serious injuries, allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration of more than three times the legal limit of 0.08%, the District Attorney's Office stated.
A DTAPS
Prosecution, an LAPD Investigation, and the Arraignment Ahead
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould of the DUI Training and Prosecution Section (DTAPS), according to the release.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, the District Attorney's Office stated.
What happens next is Demianenko's arraignment on November 16, 2026, in Department 305 of the Van Nuys Courthouse.
The charges in this case are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department. Official updates are published by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Sources
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, "Valley Village Man Charged With Murder in Suspected DUI Crash That Killed Three Women in North Hollywood," Official News Release, November 13, 2026: https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/valley-village-man-charged-murder-suspected-dui-crash-killed-three-women-north-hollywood