A 31-year-old man accused of hitting and killing a San Juan teenager in the year’s first fatal crash was granted a bond reduction during a hearing Monday afternoon.
San Juan resident Cristobal Trujillo is facing charges for the Jan. 1 crash that occurred at 12:06 a.m. on Cesar Chavez Road south of Owassa Road.
According to a news release, Trujillo was driving a 2012 white Toyota Sienna at a high rate of speed when he struck and killed Juan Vasquez Jr. as he crossed the road. He is also accused of fleeing the scene.
Trujillo was charged with manslaughter and accident involving death, with bonds set at $300,000 for each charge — totaling $600,000.
Trujillo’s attorney, Osvaldo Morales, filed a writ of habeas corpus before state District Judge Marla Cuellar that claimed his client’s bonds were excessive.
“In this particular case, judge, I believe it was an accident,” Morales said during the hearing via Zoom. “He is not accused of being under the influence of any alcohol or drugs or anything. We’re asking this court to consider a low bond.”
Morales acknowledged Trujillo’s prior criminal history, which includes a violation of a protective order from 2018 and resisting arrest in 2012. He said that Trujillo has been working for the last six years and has a family to support.
“We’re asking this court to consider a low bond,” Morales said. “He still has his job waiting for him. He did turn himself in, judge. He self-surrendered, and we’re asking this court to consider that.”
The prosecutor, Juan Arevalo, said that the state would be opposed to a bond reduction.
“We would defer to the court, the facts still indicate that this was an auto-pedestrian crash where the defendant initially fled,” Arevalo said. “He does have a history as described by the counsel, including a burglary of a vehicle case.”
Arevalo also mentioned a previous aggravated assault charge.
When Cuellar asked for more details about the charges Trujillo is currently facing, Morales said his client initially stopped and exited his vehicle after the crash.
“My client did get off the vehicle and was screaming and yelling for someone to call an ambulance,” Morales said. “When nobody was reacting to anything, he did panic and he did leave. He told his sister what happened. His sister went out to the scene, and she’s the one — I believe she told the officer that it was her brother. And then he ended up turning himself in. It was an accident.”
Morales also claimed that there is surveillance video from a nearby house or business that shows a group of kids running across the street prior to the accident. He added that he had not actually seen the footage himself.
“According to the family, I haven’t seen the video, but there is a house or a business that has a video camera,” Morales said. “Supposedly these kids — I don’t know if they were playing chicken or they were darting across, but you can see the video. In the video, the person actually just darted in front of the vehicle, like trying to run across the street in front of the vehicle.”
Morales said that his client’s family was struggling to gather the funds needed for the two bonds. He asked the court to lower the bonds to a more reasonable $30,000 each.
Cuellar instead opted to lower the manslaughter count from $300,000 to $50,000 cash surety bond with Alternative Incarceration Program (AIP) and condition of release. She also reduced the accident involving death count from $300,000 to $15,000 cash surety with AIP.
She added that Trujillo will only be allowed to leave his home for work purposes, pending prior notification and verification through the AIP.
A hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. March 2.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct two typographical errors.
