(San Fernando Valley, California) On September 21st, a third arraignment was postponed following Bailee Rios appearance in the San Fernando courthouse on Friday, September 18th.
When Rios arrived at the San Fernando courthouse she did not seem to be in stable conditions and arrived with an ambulance and was wheeled into the building in a gurney. Because of her medical conditions, her arraignment may be day-to-day until she is able to show up to court. Currently, she is jailed in lieu with a bail of $4.1 million dollars
The charges she is now faced with are two counts of second-degree murder and a felony count for driving under the influence causing injury, misdemeanor count for recklessly driving with allegedly causing great bodily injury.
According to District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Rios may face a maximum of life if she were to be convicted. In regard to the collision, he states that this was a preventable tragedy and that she was impaired with drugs and allegedly had narcotics in her SUV vehicle. The type of drugs involved is unknown.
A cousin of Daniel Castillo, who tragically lost his life in the fatal collision states,
“She broke our family…she needs to come and face what she did.”
The youngest daughter of Daniel Castillo, Johaunna Castillo, created a GoFundMe for him and with donations coming in, the family is near their end goal of $50,000 dollars with over $48,000 donated.
Legal Analysis on Bailee Rios Charges
Because Bailee Rios is faced with three charges, there are many code laws investigators had to look into before final decisions were made. When it comes to Rios’ second-degree murder charge, investigators may have reviewed California Penal Code 189 (a), which outlines the definition of first-degree murder such as carjacking, attempt to premeditate killing, and discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle. None of what is listed involves Rios violations, but according to California Penal Code 189 (b), all kinds of murder not listed in (a) is a second degree murder.
Since Bailee Rios is facing a second-degree murder charge, she may face 15-years in prison stated in California Penal Code 190. Another code law that investigators may have reviewed in regards to Rio’s misdemeanor count of recklessly driving is California Vehicle Code 23103. This code prohibits driving on a highway with a manner that purposely disregards the safety of others and if one does that, they are guilty of recklessly driving. This specific violation relates to Rios actions as she allegedly drove at high speed which injured others and killed two people.
Because District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Rios was impaired with drugs, and is charged with driving under the influence causing injuries, investigators may have reviewed California Vehicle Code 23152 which prohibits driving under the influence of any drugs as well as someone with an addiction to drugs. If alcohol was also involved investigators may also review this code law as it prohibits driving under the influence with a combination of alcohol and drugs.
Allegedly Speeding
Rios was allegedly speeding which in this case investigators may have reviewed California Vehicle Code 22350, to which prohibits driving with an increase of speed than reasonable in regards to visibility, traffic, weather, surface and width of highway, or speeding that puts others and property safety at risk. These five codes may have helped investigators determine Bailee Rios charges that she is now facing.
Advice to the Families Affected by the Fatal Collision
To the families affected by the fatal collision, grief looks different for everyone and never hesitate to reach out for emotional support from family and friends or even counselors. There are many free or low cost services that you can reach out to in regards to therapy sessions where you can express your grief to a specialist.
Have any concerns about navigating the legal process surrounding this incident? call 866-883-4318 to speak with a lawyer.
