LA deputy charged in 95-mph crash that killed 12-year-old boy

An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was charged with murder for a high-speed crash that killed a 12-year-old boy, with prosecutors saying the driver was doing 95 mph in a school zone.

Ricardo Castro, 28, was traveling at speeds of up to 95 mph on a street with a 25-mph speed limit during school hours on Nov. 3, 2021, and collided with a Mercedes making a left turn in South Gate, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said at a news conference Wednesday.

The crash killed 12-year-old Isaiah Rodriguez, who was in the passenger seat of the Mercedes.

His then-19-year-old sister, who was behind the wheel, suffered serious injuries.

Castro and his passenger were also hurt in the crash, authorities said.

In addition to the murder charge, Castro faces counts of vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving causing great bodily injury.

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Gascón said Castro previously had been involved in multiple wrecks and had received several traffic tickets, including for speeding.

Just three months before the deadly collision, Castro was a passenger in another fatal crash.

LA’s head prosecutor accused the cop of showing a “conscious disregard” for the lives of children by driving at nearly four times the speed limit.

Gascón argued that as a law enforcement official who had received extensive training, Castro should have known not to speed at a busy intersection in a school zone.

“Mr. Castro’s recklessness ended the life of a boy with an entire future ahead of him and destroyed a family,” the DA said. “This tragedy was preventable and should have never happened.”

At the news conference, Isaiah’s grieving mother, Betsabe Suarez, said the family is “completely broken” because of his death, KABC-TV reported.

Suarez said that on the day of the crash, her son was heading to a store to buy a ruler for a friend who had hers taken away by bullies. The mom also revealed that just three days prior, her 12-year-old had decided to be baptized.

“I love you, Isaiah, and I miss you every single day,” Suarez said.

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Castro appeared in court Wednesday and was ordered held on $2 million bail pending his arraignment, which has been scheduled for March 23. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison.