BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Court documents say, the men who were chasing three sisters before a fatal crash near McKee Road, allegedly thought the girls had one of their cell phones.
“Bakersfield Police Department officers assigned to the violent criminal apprehension team and Bakersfield Police Department detectives assigned to the robbery-homicide unit arrested Tevin Brandt 29 of Santa Maria,” Sgt. Andrew Tipton with the Bakersfield Police Department told 17 News.
Friday, a man is behind bars and a warrant is out for Gustavo Montoya’s arrest for their involvement in the fatal crash that killed 21-year-old Karime Duarte,15 -year-old Jennifer Duarte and severely injured 23-year-old Diana Ponce.
The three sisters were delivering newspapers when their father says, two cars started chasing after them.
According to a recently released probable cause declaration, it all started after Tevin Brandt thought he left his phone in an Uber on the morning of March 4.
Brandt contacted Uber, who then drove back to Brandt’s house, but didn’t find the phone, which prompted him to track it to the 2300 block of Macau Street.
Both Brandt and the Uber, identified as Gustavo Montoya and the second suspect in the case, drove to the area in separate cars, where they confronted the three sisters in the roadway.
Brandt then began banging on the victim’s vehicle window demanding his cellular device, but the victims fled out of fear for their safety.
Brandt and Montoya allegedly chased the victims eastbound on McKee Road. Eventually, the sister’s car came to the end of the road where it launched onto Highway 99 and was involved in a crash with oncoming traffic.
Diana was removed from the vehicle with major injuries. Karime and Jennifer were stuck inside.
Moments later, the car burst into flames.
Brandt and Montoya face two counts of Vehicular Manslaughter and reckless driving.
Karime would have been 22 this week. Meanwhile, Brandt is out on a $100,000 bail.
