CUPERTINO, Calif. (KGO) — A 38-year-old Apple employee was charged Tuesday with murder in connection with a Cupertino crash that killed a 2-year-old girl outside the tech giant’s headquarters. Eric Chen Su appeared before a judge in Palo Alto and faces two felony charges: murder and assault with a deadly weapon. A memorial has been installed at the crash site for Riley Howard, who died after Friday’s crash. 2026 at the crash site where 2-year-old Riley Howard died in Cupertino, California. Investigators said speed was a factor. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said Su was traveling nearly 100 mph when he rear-ended a vehicle stopped at a red light on Tantau Avenue. “Unquestionably, the murder charge was appropriate,” said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker. “His vehicle’s speedometer appeared to have been frozen at 100 at the time of the collision,” Baker said. Prosecutors said it was four times the posted speed limit near the crash site. Police found Riley and a woman, later identified as her babysitter, suffering serious injuries inside the vehicle that court documents say was struck by Su’s Toyota Camry. The vehicle caught fire after the collision. PREVIOUS STORY: Boy dies in fire accident near Apple headquarters in Cupertino; man arrested, authorities say Witnesses told ABC7 Eyewitness News that several bystanders ran toward the burning car and pulled Riley and the driver to safety. Riley and her babysitter were taken to a nearby hospital, where Riley later died. Su appeared in court Tuesday in a wheelchair but was otherwise unharmed, according to Baker. No statement was filed. His next court hearing is scheduled for November 30. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said it will continue pursuing the case as prosecutors seek to hold Su accountable for Riley’s death. Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.
