Judge just calls off plea deal as the DUI driver who maimed principal shows up hours late to court.
Marilyn Aguilera, 52, who struck a South Dade High principal Javier Perez while intoxicated– who lost both of his legs after being in a coma, with two other people were also injured in the crash on April 26, 2016, Perez Being a popular member of the community who was well-known for his distinctive bow ties, amiable demeanor, and passion for sports, many people were startled by the accident.
A few days after the collision, the student-organized a candlelight vigil, and other people organized online fundraisers to assist cover his medical expenses as Perez underwent 20 surgeries and more than 100 blood transfusions in the months following the accident, and he made a commitment to enter the school on prosthetic legs one day.
The same hospital where doctors saved his life, Kendall Regional Medical Center, hosted a trauma awareness event where he gave a speech.
Aguilera, on the other hand, claimed that she was ready to accept the four-year punishment offered by the prosecution. However, she ended up arriving hours late for her hearing.
As soon as she and her attorney arrived at the Courtroom, Aguilera then started crying as she stood before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Diane Ward, and asked about being released from prison earlier when Judge Ward began to question her. But the judge instructed her to “act like a grownup,” as she was not willing to put up with her behavior.
Aguilera voiced worry about her mother as well, “It’s just, I’m more concerned about Mom, who is wheelchair-bound as well,” she said.
Ward then got in touch with Perez. “Well, it seems like there’s many people that are now wheelchair-bound,” she said.
Aguilera would have received two years of basic community supervision probation after serving four years in prison under the plea agreement she had previously accepted. However, as she was ready to plead guilty, she began complaining about her former attorney. She said, “I wish I would have had a lot more time.”
As state prosecutor Ed Griffith, “We do not believe that the defendant was taking these events seriously,”
Prosecutor Laura Adams responded: “Miss Aguilera does not have to accept this plea.”
After that, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Diane Ward shook her head, canceled the plea agreement, and scheduled new trial date. At this point, Aguilera might spend more than seven years in prison.
Aguilera struck Javier Perez with her SUV as he was coaching his son’s little-league championship game in West Miami-Dade, Florida, and the sale fell through.
Under the car, Perez was pinned. Aguilera failed the roadside sobriety tests when officers detected the odor of alcohol on her person. There found an enormous open Budweiser can on her floorboard. Her blood tests revealed that she had nearly thrice the legal limit of blood alcohol.
Watch it here: Youtube/ WPLG Local 10
Sources: Taphaps, Miamiherald, Dailymail
