A Lopez Island teen who struck and killed a jogger, and maimed a 7-year-old girl, while behind the wheel of a souped-up Chevy Nova in July, could face up to two-and-a-half years in juvenile detention, among other penalties, after pleading guilty to a half-dozen criminal offenses, including vehicular homicide.
On Dec. 17, in addition to vehicular homicide, a Class A felony, the 16-year-old pleaded guilty in San Juan County Juvenile Court to two counts of vehicular assault, a Class B felony, and to three counts of reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor. The boy, who was 15 at the time of the fatal collision and unlicensed to drive, is slated to be sentenced Jan. 6.
Prosecutors will seek penalties beyond the standard range of sentencing set by the state, which for a juvenile convicted of vehicular homicide, the most weighty of the six offenses, is 15-36 weeks in detention.
According to court documents, prosecutors will ask that the 16-year-old serve up to 130 weeks in juvenile detention and that he perform 200 hours of community restitution, under supervision of the Sheriff’s Department, after his release. He would be prohibited from owning or operating a vehicle, and applying for a license, until the age of 21. He would abide by a curfew of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. while serving out the sentence.
The boy was released on $10,000 bail pending trial following an arraignment hearing in September, at which time he pleaded innocent to the six offenses. Defense attorney Mark Kaiman described him at that time as “remorseful.”
Restitution will be determined at a future hearing, the date of which has yet to be set.