A 15-year-old who was allegedly joyriding in his parents' car when he struck an SUV in Hialeah, killing a woman and her aunt, was ordered held without bond during his first appearance in adult court Wednesday.
HIALEAH FATAL CRASH
Maykoll Santiesteban was in court for the hearing a day after state attorneys officially filed adult charges against him, including two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of reckless driving, and three counts of driving with a suspended license causing harm.
His defense attorney tried convincing the bond court judge that Santiesteban should receive house arrest, arguing the 8th grader has no criminal history and isn't a flight risk.
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"This is his first ever contact with the legal system," defense attorney Omar Lopez said. "Mr. Santiesteban did not run, did not evade, did not offer any resistance to their arrest."
But Judge Mindy Glazer said the teen is a possible danger to the community, and ordered him to remain behind bars without bond.
"I believe Mr. Santiesteban is a danger to the community, he killed two people by making a conscious decision to drive a motor vehicle without a license, without permission, to basically floor it," Glazer said.
Police said Santiesteban was driving over 80 mph in a 30-mph zone while joyriding with friends back on April 23 when he plowed into another car, killing aunt and niece Yarina Garcia and Gloria Hernandez.
A third woman, Liliana Hernandez Molina, Hernandez's mother and Garcia's sister, is still in critical condition, trying to recover from the crash.
The judge on Wednesday said Santiesteban made a horrible decision to take his parents' car.
"Obviously this 8th grader, who's a good student, took a stolen car from his parents without their permission and made a very bad decision," Glazer said.
