Driver charged in triple-fatal crash assigned courtroom for trial

Jason Kotowski
·1 min read

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A man charged with murder in a crash in Lamont that killed three women has been assigned a courtroom for trial, according to court records.

The trial of Jose De Jesus Velazquez-Gomez will be heard before Judge Charles R. Brehmer in Kern County Superior Court, records show.

Velazquez-Gomez, 38, faces three counts of second-degree murder, among other offenses. He’s due back in court Monday.

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Yolanda Godinez, 36, Darli Santiago, 28, and Gabina Santiago de Arias, 56, were declared dead at the scene after the vehicle they were in was hit at about 5:38 a.m. Nov. 3, at the intersection of South Edison and Di Giorgio roads.

Velazquez-Gomez, sole occupant of the other vehicle, told officers he fell asleep while driving. He denied using drugs or drinking before the crash, according to court documents.

A prosecutor, however, said toxicology results revealed methamphetamine in his system.

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