Alberto De Jesus Coteron Oliva, 19, faces three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of leaving the scene of an accident after the August 20th car accident killed his three teen friends. (Source: CBS4)
DORAL (CBS4) â€" A month after three teens died in a car accident, the 19-year-old teen driver who survived the crash pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday.
Alberto De Jesus Coteron Oliva, 19, faces three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of leaving the scene of an accident after the August 20th car accident killed his three teen friends: Isis Jimenez, 15; Daniel Cardenas, 17; and Veronica Santiago, 17. The car they were riding in slammed into a concrete pole in Doral slicing the car into two pieces.
Oliva was behind the wheel and ran away from the scene with only cuts and bruises. He later turned himself in and is now facing criminal charges. Investigators believe he crashed, because he was racing his Honda Civic against a black Infiniti that has since disappeared.
Oliva who is currently out on bond, but the families of two of the victims say they hope he will serve a lengthy jail sentence. If convicted, Oliva who has no prior felonies could face life in prison.
Maria Catalan, Veronica Santiago’s mother, spoke tearfully after the hearing and said she hopes Oliva is found guilty.
“I want there to be justice for my daughter. It can’t stay this way. I want there to be justice,†Catalan said in Spanish in between sobs.
Daniel Cardenas Sr., the father of Daniel Cardenas Jr., said he hopes no one ever has to go through the pain of losing a child.
The family has hired attorney Antonio Jimenez who said he has asked the state attorney’s office to prosecute Oliva to the fullest extent.
But Oliva’s defense attorney Sara Shulevitz said this was a tragic accident.
“There was no criminal intent,†Shulevitz said who added that her client is distraught and is undergoing counseling.
Soon after the crash, Oliva’s mother showed up to bond court crying to the judge. Her words translated by a court interpretor.
“He’s a good boy, he’s a good son, he’s a good brother. We’re a very close family,†said Oliva’s mother.
Veronica Santiago’s family says the night of her death, she was hanging out at Dolphin Mall and had asked Oliva for a ride home. Her family says they were friends. She called her mother 20 minutes before the crash, saying she would be home by her 11:00 curfew. She never arrived.
Santiago’s family says she had a high GPA and planned to study medicine at the University of Miami.
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