Topline:
L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón announced the arrest of an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy in the death of a 12-year-old boy in November 2021. At the time, the deputy was involved in a crash while speeding in a school zone.
The crash: Former sheriff’s deputy Ricardo Castro allegedly T-boned a car at an estimated 90 mph in a 25 mph school zone. The 19-year-old female driver of the car that was hit was severely injured. The passenger, her 12 year-old brother Isaiah Rodriguez, was also severely injured and later died at the hospital.
What are the charges? Castro is being charged with vehicular manslaughter, murder, and reckless driving. “The deputy showed a conscious disregard for the lives and safety of the people of South Gate by recklessly speeding on a busy street. The behavior is even more confounding since this happened in an area designated as a zone where school children were present,” Gascón said.
The backstory: Castro had a record of traffic accidents and tickets for speeding, according to the DA. He was a passenger in another fatal car crash three months before the accident. Since the accident, he has been dismissed from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
What’s next? Castro is being held at the Twin Tower Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on $2 million bail. He appeared in court today, but his arraignment was continued until March 23. A bail review hearing is set for February 22.
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