Man Arrested In Death Of Elderly Temecula Woman, Dog

A Temecula resident was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of a number of medications in the death of an elderly woman and her dog, Temecula Police said Monday in a news release.

Harry Scholes, 55, was arrested in the death of Charlotte Boyce, 87, and her dog. Police confirmed that Boyce was struck and killed around 9 a.m., as she was standing on the sidewalk and talking with a neighbor in the 31000 block of Via Cordoba.

Boyce was taken by ambulance to Inland Regional Medical Center where she later died.

The crash investigation revealed Scholes has four prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that date back to 2006, Temecula Sgt. Mark Leggett said to SWRNN. Scholes’ truck was equipped with an ignition interlock device, designed to prevent it from being started if the driver consumed alcohol. However, the device does not detect prescription or illicit medications, according to Leggett’s news release.

Leggett also noted that Scholes’ driving privilege had been revoked by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Anyone with information can call the Temecula Police Department’s Traffic Division at 951-696-3000.