14-year-old killed in Bay Area crash, driver arrested
A 14-year-old girl who was critically injured during a crash in Novato this week has died, authorities said Friday.
The girl was one of two passengers in the vehicle when it struck a tree in the median of Ignacio Boulevard early Wednesday. The other passenger, a 15-year-old boy, received hospital treatment and has been released.
The driver of the car was Cristofer Alexander Larreinaga Corea, 18, of San Rafael, a friend of the other teens, police said. He was arraigned Friday on charges of hit-and-run driving resulting in injury or death; hit-and-run driving resulting in injury; reckless driving causing injury; and child endangerment.
The criminal complaint identifies the girl as Emanuely Da Silva Souza. A police report identifies her as Emanuely Martins-Souza. Police have not said where she lives.
Emanuely was taken to a trauma center in Oakland after the crash. She died on Thursday.
The Marin County District Attorney’s Office is waiting for additional investigative reports before deciding whether to file other charges against Larreinaga Corea, a spokesperson said.
When Larreinaga Corea was booked into the county jail, his bail was set at $100,000. Novato police succeeded in getting the bail raised to $500,000.
During the arraignment Friday, prosecutor Rachel Minarovich announced that the girl had died and asked Judge Geoffrey Howard to revoke the bail amount entirely. Minarovich stressed that Larreinaga Corea allegedly fled the crash wreckage, leaving his injured passengers behind.
“He is likely to cause great bodily injury if he is released,” Minarovich told the judge.
Howard granted the no-bail request and scheduled the next hearing for Aug. 19. Larreinaga Corea did not enter a plea.
His public defender, Michael Schroettner, declined to comment after the arraignment.
The crash happened at about 3 a.m. Wednesday on Ignacio Boulevard near Entrada Drive. A court filing by Novato police Detective Michael Hutchinson provides additional details about that night.
Emanuely was unconscious when police reached the crash site. The other passenger was able to speak with officers.
The boy recalled driving Larreinaga Corea and Emanuely to a Burger King. Then he allowed Larreinaga Corea to drive the vehicle. He sat in the front passenger seat while Emanuely sat in the back.
Larreinaga Corea then drove on northbound Alameda Del Prado, ran stop signs and traveled more than 70 mph, the boy told police. After Larreinaga Corea turned on westbound Ignacio Boulevard, both passengers told him to slow down “and that they were going to crash, if he continued to drive recklessly,” Hutchinson wrote.
Larreinaga Corea lost control of the vehicle, crashed into the tree and came to a rest in the eastbound lanes, the filing said. He fled.
Later, officers contacted Larreinaga Corea during a traffic stop after seeing him leave his girlfriend’s residence in Novato. A driver was taking Larreinaga Corea to a hospital for treatment, police said.
Larreinaga Corea told officers his account of what happened after the crash, police said. He said an unknown male told him to get into his pickup truck because police were arriving, Hutchinson wrote. He was then dropped off at Nave Drive and walked to his girlfriend’s home.
Hutchinson said Larreinaga Corea was arrested July 23 on suspicion of attempted robbery in San Rafael. Hutchinson wrote that he believed that Larreinaga Corea would pose a threat to the public if he were released from custody.
During the San Rafael incident, Larreinaga Corea allegedly tried to steal someone’s cellphone and credit card in the Canal area, San Rafael police Lt. Scott Eberle said. Patrol officers later pursued and arrested him, Eberle said.
Larreinaga Corea has pleaded not guilty in the San Rafael case, according to court records.