California judge grants delay in 13-year-old boy’s vehicular manslaughter trial
Attorneys for the Yolo County teen accused in the fiery Woodland wreck that killed a woman and her granddaughter and critically injured two other family members in April won a delay of his upcoming manslaughter trial.
The juvenile trial before Yolo Superior Court Judge Janene Beronio was scheduled to begin next Monday in Woodland. But defense attorneys for the 13-year-old boy allegedly behind the wheel argued for the continuance Tuesday over prosecutors’ objections.
The continuance staving off the Monday start is the trial’s third delay, said Yolo County District Attorney’s Office officials. Beronio will next hear from attorneys at a Monday trial readiness conference.
Four-year-old Adalina Perez and her grandmother, Tina Vital, 43, died of injuries from the April wreck on College and Court streets in downtown Woodland. Prosecutors allege the teen driver accused in the deadly collision stole his family’s SUV and led California Highway Patrol officers on a chase before crashing into the car carrying Vital and Adalina, as well as a second vehicle, at the intersection.
Eleven people were injured in all, including the underage driver, authorities said. Four people rode in one of the vehicles. Six others were in the second car. The force of the collision left the cars stacked one atop the other.
The teen pleaded not guilty in Yolo Juvenile Court in April to 13 charges connected to the crash. His name is not being released because he is a minor.
He faces charges including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, evading police causing injury, vehicle theft, evading police while driving recklessly, child endangerment, driving without a license and evading police causing death. Prosecutors also filed numerous enhancements for allegedly causing great bodily injury while committing the crimes, according to court documents.
