Two people charged in a hit-and-run accident that killed a USC student and severely injured another each pleaded no contest Thursday to a single felony, prosecutors said.
The defendants, Claudia Cabrera, 31, and Josue Luna, 33, entered the plea just before their trial was to begin in the death of 18-year-old Adrianna Bachan, who was hit early on the morning of March 29 as she crossed Jefferson Boulevard near Hoover Street.
The couple also admitted the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury to Bachan’s friend, Marcus Garfinkle, who was in the crosswalk with Bachan when the vehicle hit them after running a red light. Garfinkle suffered severe injuries, including two broken legs, after being hit and carried 300 to 400 feet on the windshield.
Prosecutors allege that Cabrera stopped the car and Luna pulled Garfinkle off the car. Luna got back in the car and held the windshield in place as his wife drove off.
Cabrera also pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The couple return to court May 24 for sentencing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry. Cabrera faces a maximum of eight years in state prison while Luna could get up to seven years behind bars.
Authorities said Cabrera was driving with a driver’s license that had been suspended because she had failed to pay traffic tickets. The couple’s 7-month-old baby was in the back seat at the time of the accident, police said.
— Andrew Blankstein
Photo: Carmen Bachan holds a photo of her daughter
Adrianna Bachan, who was killed in a hit-and-run near USC this weekend.
Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times
Map: The location of the hit-and-run accident. To learn more about this area, see the University Park Mapping L.A. Neighborhoods page.
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