Deputy was driving nearly 95 mph in LA school zone crash that killed 12-year-old boy, prosecutors say
A California sheriff's deputy was charged with murder after prosecutors said he crashed in 2021 while driving nearly 95 mph in a school zone, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring two others.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricardo Castro faces murder and vehicular manslaughter charges after driving "nearly quadruple the speed limit when school children are present" and showing "conscious disregard for those children's lives," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said at a Wednesday news conference.
"Mr. Castro's recklessness ended the life of a boy with an entire future ahead of him and destroyed a family," Gascón said.
Castro faces up to 25 years to life in prison if he is convicted, prosecutors said.
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Crash kills 12-year-old boy, injures two others
Castro collided with another vehicle that was making a left-hand turn around 4 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2021, in South Gate, which is located 7 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, according to Gascón's office. Castro was off-duty at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors say Castro was driving nearly 95 mph in a school zone, where the speed limit is typically 35 mph but is reduced to 25 mph when school children are present.
Castro's pick-up truck rolled over during the crash, South Gate Police Chief Darren Arakawa said at Wednesday's news conference.
Isaiah Suarez Rodriguez, 12, died in the crash and Isaiah's adult older sister, who was driving the vehicle turning left, was seriously injured in the crash. An adult passenger riding with Castro was also injured.
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Castro has history of driving collisions
Castro's driving history "reveals he has been involved in multiple collisions and received several traffic tickets, including for speeding," Gascón said.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said Castro was "administratively removed from field duties since the collision" but was still getting paid during the investigation into the crash. After felony charges were filed, Castro was "relieved of duty without pay."
'There are no words': Family remembers Isaiah
In an emotional Wednesday news conference, Isaiah's mother, Betsabe Suarez, said her son was out buying a ruler for a classmate whose ruler was taken away from her while she was being bullied at school. Suarez remembered the boy as brave, thoughtful, caring and funny.
"There are no words that can describe the full essence of who he was," she said.
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Suarez recalled spending holidays and her son's birthday without him, adding she is "never going to see him graduate, go to college, get married." She said the family is "completely broken" by his loss.
"First of all, I want to say that I love my son," she said. 'I love you, Isaiah, and I miss you every single day."
"It was an honor to have you as my son."
Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California sheriff's deputy charged in crash that killed Isaiah Suarez
