The 15-year-old charged in the hit-and-run death of a college student in Issaquah wants to go home before his trial.
About 60 people filled the courtroom at the Youth Services Center in Seattle on Tuesday, half of them desperate for the teen to go home, the other half determined for him to stay locked up.
The attorney for the teen asked the judge to release the teen so he could go back to school at Hazen High School. The defense attorney said the teen would live with a relative and be on electronic home monitoring. The teen's grandparents are now his guardians, other relatives attended the court hearing.
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The teen is charged with vehicular homicide and felony hit and run. Detectives say the 15-year-old was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee after a party in Issaquah on May 28. According to investigators the teen intentionally swerved to hit Kevin Lozoya who was walkIng with three friends. The SUV didn't stop.
The SUV was recovered about a week later, it was ditched down a ravine. The suspect wasn't arrested until more than month later.
The prosecutor objected to the teen's release and had the victim's mom address the court.
Grisel Lozoya told the judge the 15-year-old shouldn't get to home because her son never gets to come home.
"He knew what he did and he run down my son. He left him right there on the side of the road," said Grisel Lozoya.
Kevin Lozoya was attending University of Colorado and was in town for the weekend, he was supposed to fly back the next day.
Jeffrey Enriquez is Kevin Lozoya's cousin, the pair went to college together. "Kevin was our rock. He deserves justice, he doesn't deserve this. Having a 15-year-old walking around the streets for a crime he committed, he actually killed Kevin," said Enriquez.
The three friends, who were with Lozoya the night he died, told the judge about his final moments.
"Evan and I, we were holding him when he took his last breath and when we see that car continue to go down the road and take a sharp left turn to get out of the area, that's not right," said Tyler Krebs.
"I just want justice, you know, " said Evan Graham, "It sucks to watch your best friend murdered right in front of you and I don't think it should be taken lightly, just because of his age."
The judge decided not to release the teen, he said the 15-year-old is a danger to the community and could interfere with the administration of justice.
For Lozoya's family it is a small victory.
"Thank God. I believe in justice and I hope we're going to have justice for Kevin," said Grisel Lozoya.
Cox Media Group
