LAMONT, Calif. (KGET) — There was a heavy, emotional feeling in the Lamont courtroom, as the man accused of triple manslaughter was given bond.
A dozen loved ones of Yolanda Godinez, Gabina Santiago de Arias and Darli Santiago came from out of town to see José de Jésus Velazquez-Gómez be arraigned. As the court adjourned on Tuesday, family members stood up and directly addressed the judge, asking him to set no bond for the suspect.
The three women died Friday morning outside Lamont at the intersection of Edison and Di Giorgio Roads. Officers say Velazquez-Gómez ran a stop sign and crashed into the women, who were on their way to work.
Velazquez-Gómez’s hearing was delayed until after lunch, when he pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter. His bond was set at $150,000 dollars.
There’s no justice being made. and we feel like, we feel ignored,” said Heriberto Arias, son of Santiago de Arias. “Just the fact that he is being held without bond after considering three deaths.”
“The whole conception of they transfer us, and they transfer us, and nobody gives you concrete information,” said Elias Mateo, son-in-law of Santiago de Arias. “And the fact that they’re giving this gentleman $150,000 bond, and he’s walking like nothing happened — he doesn’t even have a scratch, and he killed three people.”
Velazquez-Gómez is set to return to court on Friday, Nov. 17. He also faces charges from a 2015 DUI arrest.
Family members of the three women come from as far as San Francisco and Coachella, and say they will continue to come to see justice served for their loved ones.
