MALIBU — The driver in the crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu that killed four Pepperdine University students was re-arrested Tuesday, a week after his initial arrest at the scene of the crash.
Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibu, was arrested on four counts of suspicion of murder, with bail set at $8 million, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Bohm was initially taken into custody last Tuesday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Jail records show he was released from custody around 7:20 a.m. last Wednesday.
Bohm was released “to allow detectives time to gather the evidence needed to secure the strongest criminal filing and conviction,” according to a statement from the department.
“When a case is presented to the District Attorney’s Office, you need to present supporting evidence for the specific charges being requested for filing within 48 hours,” the statement said. “In this specific case, the evidence including toxicology, speed analysis, execution of search warrants, etc. was still pending and took additional time to collect.”
Bohm was driving a dark-colored, four-door sedan westbound on Pacific Coast Highway last Tuesday night, apparently at high speed, when he swerved onto the north shoulder of the road and slammed into three parked vehicles, heavily damaging all of them and leaving one on its side, authorities said.
“Subsequently, those vehicles hit four female adults standing on the side of the roadway near the parked vehicles,” sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Seetoo said during a news conference Wednesday. “The four females were pronounced dead at the scene.”
Bohm suffered minor scratches and bruises.
Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, all in their 20s and seniors at Pepperdine’s Seaver College of Liberal Arts, were killed while standing or walking in the 21600 block of PCH around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Anyone with information related to the crash was asked to call the traffic investigations office at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station at 818 878-1808.