Two then 17-year-old males who were involved in an alleged street racing incident that led to the death of a San Gabriel man on July 4, 2019, have recently accepted the terms of a plea deal which includes probation, the indefinite continuation of suspension of their driving privileges, community service and internships in the Los Angeles County Jail and Morgue, according to someone with knowledge of the case. Attorneys representing the two suspects accepted the terms of the deal at a hearing on Friday, December 20, 2019.
The district attorney’s office in July filed vehicular manslaughter charges against the minors in the death of Gabriel Crispo, 49, who was killed while jogging on the Huntington Drive median on Thursday, July 4 at 10:34 a.m. Crispo and his dog, Niño—which also died at the scene—were struck by a white Mercedes at the intersection of Huntington Drive and Kenilworth Rd. It is believed that the Mercedes had been involved in a street race with at least one other vehicle before it careened out of control, later crossing the median and striking Crispo.
According to the terms of the settlement, the driver of the white Mercedes was sentenced to 60 eight-hour days of manual labor community service while the juvenile driving the blue Toyota that struck the Mercedes must perform 30 eight-hour days of manual labor community service aside from the jail and morgue programs. The two suspects must also write a letter of apology and are due back in court on Friday, January 24. They must also serve home curfew daily from 6:00p.m.–6:00a.m., unless accompanied by a parent.
The suspects heard victim impact statements from Gabriel Crispo’s mother, Rosa Crispo, and Marta Franco, Gabriel Crispo’s girlfriend and the owner of Niño, at the December 20 hearing. Franco was jogging behind Gabriel Crispo and Niño when the accident occurred.
According to a source, attorneys for the two minors were seeking a full pardon from all of the charges.
Meanwhile, a complaint for damages was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the two suspects and their parents by an attorney representing Rosa Crispo and Franco. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages for negligence in what is called the “wrongful death” of Crispo; for negligence in the survival action and for violation of Civil Code section 3340, which specifies wrongful injuries to animals committed willfully or by gross negligence.
The suit does not specify a dollar amount, but on the first count requests general damages in excess of the minimum jurisdiction of the court, special damages in excess of the minimum jurisdiction of the court, court costs and “further relief the court may deem just and proper.” On the second count, the suit requests special damages according to proof and punitive damages against the two minors. On the third count, the suit seeks punitive damages against the two minors, court costs and “further relief the court may deem just and proper.”
A native of Argentina, Gabriel Crispo was a Spanish and ESL teacher at Daniel Murphy and St. Francis High Schools and, most recently, Pasadena City College, before his death.
