Court hearing underway for teen accused of crash that killed woman, her granddaughter in Woodland

(FOX40.COM) — A court hearing for a young teenager accused of the deaths of a woman and her granddaughter after leading police on a chase through Woodland got underway Tuesday.

The teen, who was 13 when the chase and crash occurred on April 8, 2023, faces multiple charges, including two charges of murder, vehicular manslaughter and theft, and has pleaded not guilty.
•Video Above: Vehicle speeds away from police, crashes into two vehicles (From April 2023)

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The teen is accused of stealing the family vehicle and causing a three-vehicle crash in Woodland, injuring several people and causing the deaths of 43-year-old Tina Vital and her 4-year-old granddaughter, Adalina Perez.

Woodland Police said that officers attempted to pull over the vehicle for driving erratically and “pursued the car to the intersection of College and Court Streets.”

There, the vehicle collided with two other vehicles, which caught on fire, police said.

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Because of the teen’s age, California judicial law states that youth face a court process that is different from a jury trial.

The teen will instead face a jurisdictional hearing, which is when a judge and not a jury determines what the youth is accused of and hands down a punishment.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s office must prove beyond a reasonable doubt what the youth did, and the teen’s lawyer has an opportunity to present a defense.

It is then up to the judge to decide what the teen is accused of and what the punishment should be, although the decision can be made the same day or at a later date.

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