Posted on 02/24/2005 2:00:29 PM PST by WindOracle
CHULA VISTA – A 33-year-old man admitted in Superior Court yesterday that he ran down a Chula Vista woman who was out for her morning walk.
Daniel Antonio Orantes-Castro pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter in the Nov. 18 death of Akiko Koehler, 60. Judge Wesley R. Mason scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 23.
Prosecutor Terri Wyatt said no promises were made to Orantes-Castro in exchange for his guilty plea. She said the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.
Castro was driving a Ford F-150 pickup in a westbound lane of J Street around 8:30 a.m. when he crossed into the eastbound lane at Twin Oaks Avenue, drove up onto the sidewalk and struck Koehler before crashing into a fence, police said.
Koehler was thrown about 10 feet onto the front lawn of a nearby home, police said.
"It was her practice to walk every morning," Wyatt said. "She used to like to go to Henry's Market."
A witness who lived across the street and was familiar with Koehler's routine reported seeing a black truck cross the road, Wyatt said. When the truck passed from her range of vision, the witness heard the truck bump over the curb, Wyatt said.
The witness ran out her front door to look for Koehler, who was on the ground, Wyatt said.
Neighbors and passers-by detained Orantes-Castro and a passenger when they tried to walk away, police said.
The prosecutor said blood tests showed that Castro was under the influence of methamphetamine.
Castro, from Mexico, was in the United States illegally at the time of the crash, Wyatt said. He had been deported last year and banned from re-entering the United States for five years but returned anyway, Wyatt said.
Castro is being held in jail without bail.
His sentence will probably be concurrent. Who will be picking up the tab for his extended stay??
Three guesses and the first six that don't include the US Citizens don't count.
THAT'S IT???
Another illegal alien criminal who has no business being in this country kills an innocent American. Our prisons are full of them.
Haha.....I woudln't care if we had to pay $10.00 more....as long as the illegals are outahere.
[She said the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.]
The maximum penalty should be maximun injection by methanphetamine.
Well celebrate the GOP then sweetie...
Seems like you were right!! :-)
Yep. It's been two days now since this went up. And still, no one comes to defend this action.
Why? It's INDEFENSIBLE!!!
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