A Maywood resident pleaded not guilty Monday to charges stemming from an alleged DUI crash into a Downey home in the middle of the night, killing a 73-year-old grandmother and injuring her granddaughter as they slept last month.
Ryan Mota, 24, was charged in a Sept. 5 warrant with one felony count each of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury and driving with a 0.08% blood alcohol concentration or more causing injury in connection with the crash that killed Agia Guirguis and left her 24-year-old granddaughter injured, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges include allegations that Mota had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.15% or more, refused to take a chemical test, inflicted great bodily injury on the victims and caused bodily injury or death to more than one victim.
Authorities said Guirguis was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 2:30 a.m. Aug. 16 in the 9500 block of Gallatin Road, just west of the Santa Ana (5) Freeway.
Mota was arrested within less than an hour after the crash, but was released four days later without a case being immediately filed against him, according to jail records.
He was subsequently taken into custody again by Downey police last Thursday.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Troy Davis agreed at Monday’s hearing to allow Mota to be released on his own recognizance under the conditions that he wear a SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) device and attend two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Mota is set to appear next Sept. 29 in a Norwalk courtroom. A hearing date is scheduled to be set then to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.
He could face up to 13 years and eight months in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.