A California court on Thursday, February 27th, sentenced Bani Marcela Duarte, 29, to 51 years to life in state prison. The verdict came months after she was convicted of killing three teenagers in a DUI accident.

Duarte was charged with three felony counts for murder, one count for driving under the influence and causing severe bodily harm. She also got charged with sentence enhancement for significant physical damage.

The accident the convicted woman was involved in occurred in March 2018 in Orange County. The teenagers, Brooke Hawley, 17, Dylan Mack, 18, and Albert “A.J” Rossi were in the county on Spring break.

The police report showed that the teenagers were parked at a red light when Duarte hit them from behind at top speed. The impact of the crash made the deceased teens’ car collide with a pole and catch fire immediately.

The teens died instantly, and the only survivor was the fourth passenger whose name the police never released. The teenager had burn injuries and experienced a concussion.

Duarte got arrested by the Huntington Beach Police Department for driving under the influence. A breathalyzer test revealed that her blood-alcohol level at .30 percent, which is way above the legal limit of .08 percent.

At her trial, the father of one of the teenagers lamented the fact that Duarte’s decision to drive under the influence changed the lives of those who lost their children that day forever. He said that while the woman would get to see her children through the prison glass, he would see his child only at the cemetery.

Duarte was charged with a DUI in 2016 and had her license suspended for one year at the time. She will start serving her sentence immediately.

Please follow and like us: