Colorado man given maximum sentence of 1 year in jail after striking, killing teen boy in Highlands Ranch
A Colorado man who pleaded guilty to careless driving resulting in the death of a 13-year-old boy has been sentenced to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine -- the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Ruben Morones pleaded guilty last year after investigators said he ran a red light and struck and killed 13-year-old Alexander Mackiewicz in Highlands Ranch on March 6, 2024.
Morones was sentenced on Tuesday by Douglas County Judge Larry Raymond Bowling. He was arrested in March and pleaded guilty in October of last year. As part of that plea agreement, charges of careless driving resulting in injury and disregard for traffic signals were dismissed.
Mackiewicz's mother Victoria Cegielski sat in court with a jacket over a T-shirt with a picture of her son that read "justice for Alex." In her Highlands Ranch home, a clock is frozen at 6:48 a.m. -- the time her son was killed.
"I can't say I'm happy, but I'm satisfied," she said at a news conference Tuesday night after the court was adjourned. "The fact that the judge acknowledged (the maximum sentence) and ruled in our favor makes me very pleased."
But she says this is just the beginning of what she hopes starts legal change. She's working to change certain traffic offenses, like careless driving resulting in death, into a felony.
"A person cannot be accidentally careless. Careless is a distraction. You cannot run the red light if you're paying attention. That's neglect to obey the traffic lights," she said. "I do have very good people who agreed to work with me to change the law and make it a felony because today, the defense attorney kept repeating 'misdemeanor, misdemeanor' like it's something minor. There's nothing minor about human life and in my opinion, punishment has to be proportional to the outcome of the crash."
She says she supports Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' recommendation to change the charge from careless driving to felony involuntary manslaughter.
"I think it's appropriate wording for that because it will put full meaning to what is happening. Yes, you didn't mean, but someone still lost their life and it's your fault," Cegielski said.
She said she has spoken with State Senator John Carson about working to make the change, and Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly as well as incoming 23rd District DA George Brauchler, are also on board.
"The system is very broken when the most severe consequence for careless driving resulting in death is a $1,000 fine and a year in jail," said Weekly.
"I can't think of another charge on Colorado's books that results in the death of another human being that has such a low punishment as this one," said Brauchler.
Morones has a history of 12 driving offenses, including a DUI from 2001, careless driving resulting in injury from 2006, and a DUI from 2010. The defense said those offenses are more than a decade old and that this was a tragic accident that happened because the sun was in Morones's eyes and he missed the stoplight.
Family members vouched for Morones in front of the judge and described him as a "kind and helpful hard worker."
Speaking through a Spanish-language interpreter, Morones took responsibility for the accident and begged the family for their forgiveness.
The defense asked the judge to sentence Morones to probation, which was the recommendation of the Douglas County Probation Department. Instead, the judge handed down the one-year jail sentence, stating it was only the second time he had ever done so, despite saying he's seen "too many" cases of careless driving resulting in death.
Mackiewicz's death prompted a collective swell of grief in his school and community. Classmates, in interviews with CBS News Colorado last year, characterized Mackiewicz as "a kind soul," "funny," and "kind;" someone who "lit people's hearts up" and "would always bring a smile on my face."
"The box I brought with me today to the court was filled with the letters from his classmates," said Cegielski.
Inside the courtroom, friends and family shared tearful memories of the teen.
"Everybody knew Alex and everybody loved Alex. He didn't have a single enemy," said Cegielski.
"The fact that he would often take the blame if someone did something wrong so his friend wouldn't get in trouble -- that's Alex," his mother said on Tuesday. "He was a normal teenager. He did his mistakes but he would always always accept all the responsibilities and the consequences of his actions. Caring; that's what every single letter in that box -- caring, caring, caring -- that's how everybody described Alex. It's just his nature."
Victoria is also planning to file a civil suit against insurance companies. Morones was driving a Sherwin-Williams van at the time of the accident.
"If you drive a van like this and if you hire someone with a background like this, then you need to pay," said Phil Harding, civil attorney.
Harding says Wednesday he will be sending a policy limit demand to the insurance company, and after 30 days, will file a lawsuit. He wants to argue that the death of a minor should result in economic damages, as well as non-economic.
Morones will begin his one-year sentence on Feb. 2. The judge did authorize him to apply for work release, provided he's not the one who drives to and from the jail.
