News footage shows Tevin Brandt appearing in court (KGET).
A California man facing second-degree murder charges allegedly pursued three sisters in his vehicle, setting off a chase that ended in a deadly crash, prosecutors say.
Tevin Brandt, 33, faces two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and a reckless-driving charge stemming from the 2023 collision. The crash killed sisters Karime Duarte, 21, and Jennifer Duarte, 15. Their sister, 26-year-old Diana Ponce, survived but was injured. Brandt’s trial began Monday.
According to courtroom reporting by local NBC affiliate KGET, the sisters were delivering newspapers in Bakersfield, California, during the early morning hours of March 4, 2023. Brandt had reportedly spent the night visiting bars when he noticed his phone was missing. His girlfriend used a tracking app, which led him to the Honda Accord occupied by the three sisters.
Montoya entered a no-contest plea in October to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and agreed to testify for the prosecution. During testimony Thursday, Montoya told the court that he saw Brandt strike the window of the sisters’ Honda Accord. He also said Brandt later “commanded” him to follow the women before the pursuit began.
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Asked by a public defender why he agreed to assist Brandt, Montoya said Brandt “did offer a tip.”
Montoya is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 16.
Brandt’s trial is scheduled to resume Nov. 18.
The post ‘I hope you die’: Prosecutors say a man chased three sisters delivering newspapers after mistakenly believing they had his phone appeared first on Law & Crime.
