Grand Jury Indicts One In Fatal Yuma Crash

A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an eleven count indictment on August 22, 2006, against Adan Pineda-Doval, 20, of Guetamo, Michoacan, Mexico, for Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death and Transportation of Illegal Aliens Placing Lives in Jeopardy.

The criminal complaint on which the indictment is founded alleges that on August 7, 2006, the defendant was transporting 20 illegal aliens in a Chevrolet Suburban. Border Patrol agents began to follow the defendant and attempted to stop him using a controlled tire deflation device. The defendant swerved to avoid the device and rolled the vehicle approximately four times. During the crash, most of the people were ejected from the vehicle. Five people died at the scene, including a pregnant female and a juvenile female. Four people later died at the Yuma Regional Medical Center in Yuma, Arizona, and one juvenile male later died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. The defendant is currently in custody pending trial.

A conviction for Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, or the death penalty, a $250,000 fine or both. A conviction for Transportation of Illegal Aliens Placing Lives in Jeopardy carries a maximum penalty of twenty years, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge McNamee will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.