Teen Held Without Bail in Deaths of Two Cuban Women in Hialeah Crash

The 15-year-old teenager responsible for the deaths of two Cuban women in a car accident in Hialeah will remain in custody until his trial. Maykoll Santiesteban appeared before the criminal court on Wednesday, where Judge Mindy Glazer ruled that he must stay in jail without bail.

Santiesteban faces two counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of driving with a suspended license causing damage, and one count of reckless driving. The prosecution argued these are serious crimes and requested that he not be released under any circumstances.

The defense attorney argued that his client is an eighth-grade student with no criminal record, poses no flight risk, and has cooperated with authorities since his arrest. Nevertheless, Judge Glazer sided with the prosecution, concluding that the teenager poses a danger to the community and denied bail.

"He killed two people by making the conscious decision to drive a vehicle without a license, without permission, to basically floor and accelerate the vehicle as fast as he could, and just two seconds before the accident he let off the pedal. I believe he is a danger to the community," the judge stated, as quoted by América TeVe.

On Tuesday, it was confirmed that the boy will be tried as an adult after a judge transferred his case from juvenile to adult court.

Victims and Incident Details

The tragic accident, which occurred on April 24, claimed the lives of Yarina García Hernández, 39, and her aunt Gloria Esther Hernández, 71. Also in the car was Liliana Hernández Molina, Yarina's 65-year-old mother, who remains in critical condition at a Miami hospital.

The women were out shopping when they were struck by Santiesteban, who was driving a truck at high speed near the corner of Southeast 4th Street and 5th Avenue.

Defense attorney Omar López told Local 10 that Santiesteban and his family deeply regret what happened and offer their heartfelt condolences to the victims' families.

"If he could press the rewind button and make this not happen, my client would give anything for that," López said.

The teenager's parents are aware that he could spend many years in prison. "The family is obviously devastated. This is their only child," López lamented.

Meanwhile, Osmeide Rodríguez, the son of Gloria Esther Hernández, stated during a tribute to his aunt and cousin that the incident cannot go unpunished and that although the responsible party is a minor, "he is old enough to understand the consequences of his actions."

According to the police report, seconds before the collision, the teenager was driving at 83 miles per hour, more than 50 miles above the speed limit at the intersection. The young man had stolen his father's car to take a joyride with his friends.