Pasadena Man Pleads Not Guilty to Murder in Freeway Crash that Killed 4-Month Old Baby

A 26-year-old Pasadena man accused of driving drunk and causing the death of an infant in a crash on the Pasadena Freeway on November 5 has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.

Jared Hale Lynch Silvestri crashed his VW Jetta into a Chrysler pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway, according to prosecutors and the California Highway Patrol.

The crash fatally injured four-month-old Melanie Brown who was in the Chrysler. The baby died about three hours later at a hospital. Her grandmother and a nine-year-old girl, who were both in the car, were injured.

SIlvestri was arrested later that night and is charged with one count each of murder, driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, and driving with a 0.08 percent blood alcohol content causing injury.

He is being held in lieu of $2.1 million bail and is due back in court on January 26.

The District Attorney’s Office said Silvestri could face up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.