Teen Admits To Manslaughter In West LA Lamborghini Crash Which Killed Monique Munoz
INGLEWOOD (CBSLA) – A 17-year-old boy admitted to committing vehicular manslaughter Friday in a Lamborghini crash which killed a woman in West Los Angeles back in February.
The boy, who has not been publicly identified because he is a minor, admitted to the petition for vehicular manslaughter at his arraignment in juvenile court in Inglewood.
The judge ordered that he wear an ankle bracelet and placed him on house arrest. His sentencing is scheduled for June 30.
According to Los Angeles police, a little after 5 p.m. on Feb. 17, the teen was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini SUV traveling east on Olympic Boulevard when it collided with a four-door Lexus which was turning left onto Overland Avenue.
The driver of the Lexus, 32-year-old Monique Munoz, who was heading home from work, died at the scene. Munoz's family claims that the Lamborghini was speeding faster than 100 miles per hour at the time of the collision.
The teen was arrested about a week later, on Feb. 23. He wasn't officially charged with vehicular manslaughter until early April.
On Friday, family and friends of Munoz held a protest outside the Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse demanding that the boy be charged as an adult. Munoz's family argued the teen was receiving special treatment because his family is wealthy and well connected.
Carol Cardona, the victim's mother, told CBSLA Friday that she listened to the proceedings from a different room in the courthouse.
"I didn't want to see him, I didn't want to see his family, I didn't," Cardona said. "Because, at the end of the day, he was the last person to see my daughter arrive."
"I don't want him to just get a slap on the wrist," she added. "Today was a small victory. But I'm waiting for the greater, bigger victory that I've been praying about."
The boy's father, millionaire James Khuri, said in March that his son suffered brain damage and could barely walk after getting out of the intensive care unit. Khuri also apologized in an Instagram post, offering prayers for the Munoz family.
"I am aware that the time it has taken me to communicate this has caused further pain for everyone affected," Khuri wrote. "Knowing that this will never do justice for the family of Monique Munoz, I want to apologize to the Munoz family for the tragic loss of their daughter."
Relatives told CBSLA that Munoz worked as a receptionist and had aspired to go to law school.