A grieving Jaramillo's father called the pair "a perfect couple."
Aaron McDonald, 31, and Irene Jaramillo, 30, were on their way home after celebrating Jaramillo's birthday. This was only supposed to be one of the many celebrations to come, as they were planning on getting married in the summer.
But unfortunately, while they were on their way home from a party, their vehicle was hit by a suspected DUI driver, reported KACB. According to a GoFundMe created for their families, the party was a celebration of Jaramillo's birthday.
In a statement, the Rialto Police Department said that a suspect entered city limits just before 1 a.m. after eluding officers from a nearby town. Officers "attempted to conduct a traffic stop…however, the suspect failed to yield and a pursuit ensued," they said.
HEARTBREAKING: Aaron McDonald and his fiancée Irene Jaramillo were heading home from a party early Saturday morning when their vehicle was struck during a police chase. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, but were both pronounced dead. 💔 https://t.co/MVUoCHMPQq pic.twitter.com/XxbuYDYn1D
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 5, 2022
While in the middle of the chase, the suspect ran a red light and then collided with McDonald and Jaramillo's vehicle, police said. The suspect's car then crashed into a nearby home, but no one inside was injured.
"While traveling north on Cedar Ave., the suspect ran a red light at the intersection of Randall Ave. and collided with a silver 2019 Nissan Sentra traveling east on Randall Ave. The suspect's vehicle lost control and crashed into a home located in the 1200 block of W. Randall Ave. Although the house was occupied at the time of the incident, no one inside the home was injured," the statement from the police read.
Immediately after the crash, both McDonald and Jaramillo were transported to a local hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries, police said.
The suspect, identified by police as 24-year-old Alejandro Canchola of San Bernardino, was transported to a local hospital and "treated for moderate injuries," authorities said. Jail records show he has since been arrested and faces a murder charge.
🚨 ACCIDENT NEWS: Aaron McDonald and Irene Jaramillo died in a crash involving a vehicle being chased by the police in Rialto. Read more about this accident here: https://t.co/PQiykly9ei#caraccident #Rialto
— Jacoby & Meyers (@JMLawyersCA) April 4, 2022
A grieving Jaramillo's father called the pair "a perfect couple." "When she met Aaron, she just glowed even more," Julian Ramos shared. What's heartbreaking is that instead of planning for a wedding, their families are preparing to "honor their love by laying them to rest together."
"Anyone who knew Irene knew what a kind and caring soul she was. Anyone who knew Aaron knew how kind and what a hard worker he was," reads a message on the fundraiser.
"They both loved each other so much and were in the works of planning a wedding for this summer," the message continued.
References:
https://abc7.com/rialto-engaged-couple-killed-dui-crash/11709582/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/gyd5zc-donate-to-help-please
https://rialtopolice.com/news/pursuit-suspect-murders-two-people-in-rialto
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
