Beloved Baby-Sitter Hit, Killed; Driver Held

To children and parents who live amid the foothills near Cleveland National Forest, Otilia Esquivel was known as “grandmother” and served as the trusted baby-sitter for dozens of families over the last decade.

On Saturday, residents placed flowers, candles and pictures at the site where Esquivel, 69, was struck and killed the day before by an alleged drunk driver while walking home after a baby-sitting job.

“People loved her,” said Fernando Lopez, her son. “Everyone knew her. She was the person they trusted to look after their kids.”

Esquivel was walking down Robinson Ranch Road on Friday afternoon when James Morrison, 53, of Trabuco Canyon, lost control of his car, swerved onto the sidewalk and slammed into her, according to the California Highway Patrol. Morrison was booked on suspicion of drunk driving.

Esquivel, an immigrant from Colombia, lived with Lopez and his family in Trabuco Canyon. The accident occurred just as Esquivel was recovering from a fourth occurrence of lymphoma.

“Her cancer was in remission, but she said she couldn’t battle it for a fifth time,” Lopez said. “Maybe this was God’s way.”

Lopez said that families whom Esquivel met through her baby-sitting work visited his home throughout the day with cards and food. They also created a makeshift memorial on Robinson Ranch Road complete with drawings by children and pictures of Esquivel with families.