California siblings died while on their way home from work in the northern part of the state after an 18-year-old suspect, who was allegedly fleeing from police officers for a traffic violation, rammed his car into the two victims, said authorities.
The victims, 21-year-old Philip Nievas and 25-year-old Precious Nievas, turned left onto Mitty Way in West San Jose shortly before 10:00 p.m. on April 26. Suddenly, a 2017 Honda Accord hit the two while trying to escape from police pursuers, the San Jose Police Department said.
Fleeing Suspect
Authorities identified the suspect as 18-year-old Robert Joseph Garcia from Morgan Hill, California. They said he had changed lanes several times and made a U-turn without the use of signals on the Lawrenceville Expressway.
Garcia allegedly sped away in his vehicle when a Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office Deputy approached him to try and give him a traffic stop. Officials said the suspect ignored a red light and later slammed into a Toyota Camry that Philip was driving.
The victims’ car was pushed about 250 feet before crashing into a wall and turning over on its side. Authorities said the siblings were pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not identify Garcia’s 17-year-old passenger. The two were both transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries.
Authorities said Garcia broke his back and his clavicle during the crash. They said the teenage passenger sustained a broken right ankle and a broken rib. Police initially arrested the suspects on charges of evading an officer, gross vehicular manslaughter, and various firearms and narcotics offenses, People reported.
However, officials charged Garcia with two counts of murder for allegedly using a dangerous weapon – his car – as a deadly and dangerous weapon. They also charged him with eluding a pursuing o=peace officer and causing the death of another person, eluding a pursuing peace officer and causing serious bodily injury to another person, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, and possession for the sale of cannabis.
