Judge denies reducing bond for driver charged with wrong-way death of Creekside High School graduate
A Duval County judge has denied lowering bond for the man facing trial in the death of a local high school graduate. Action News Jax told you last month when Ariel Monteagudo was charged in the wrong-way crash death of former Creekside High School student, Trenton Stewart.
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For the Stewart family, today’s hearing was a small win in the face of an indescribable loss.
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“This is a small step to ensuring we’re contributing to keeping our community and family safe,” says Mandi Stewart, Trenton’s mom.
Trenton was on the way home for summer break after his freshman year playing football for Stetson University when he was killed. The arrest report for Monteagudo, the man charged for his death more than seven months ago, says he hit Trenton head-on at 113 miles per hour, 70 miles over the speed limit, in the wrong lane on Old St. Augustine Road.
The Stewarts say they agree with today’s decision from the judge not to reduce Monteagudo’s $750,000 bond, but it won’t help fill the hole in their family.
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“I don’t think you really move forward from this, honestly,” Mandi says, “I think you live through it, it becomes part of who you are.”
State court records show this isn’t the first time Monteagudo’s been charged with a crash death. In 2002, Monteagudo served 10 years in the Broward County prison for another vehicular homicide charge.
He’s pleaded not guilty to Trenton’s death. Even after so much was taken from them, though, the Stewarts are focused on giving back and helping other families. As Action News Jax told you last month, Trenton’s parents started a nonprofit, called the Trenton Stewart Foundation, to as a way to give scholarships to other young athletes.
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“It’s reassuring that we’re going to do a lot of great things in his name,” says Robert Stewart, Trenton’s dad, “that keeps his memory and love alive.”
The Stewart family tells me another goal of the foundation, however, is to advocate for a law, what they would want to be called the “Trenton Stewart Law,” passed at the state level requiring an automatic enhancement of a sentence for people found guilty of vehicular homicides and/or DUI manslaughters more than once.
“This is about being dedicated to what’s right, having justice in situations like this,” Mandi says.
The application to the $1,000 “Trenton William Stewart Legacy” scholarship and link to donate to the foundation can be found here.
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Ariel Monteagudo’s next court hearing is scheduled for January 22. Action News Jax will keep following his trial and have updates on air and online.
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