Friday, July 22, 2005

D.A. BROWN: FLORIDA RESIDENT ARRAIGNED ON CHARGES OF RECKLESS MANSLAUGHTER IN DRAG RACING INCIDENT THAT KILLED DRIVER OF SECOND VEHICLE; FACES UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a Florida man has been arraigned on charges of reckless manslaughter and other charges in a fatal drag racing incident in which the driver of the second racing vehicle was killed.

District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendant and the victim, Carlos Feria, were racing their vehicles at a high rate of speed in a residential neighborhood when they made contact with each other causing both vehicles to spin out of control and causing the victim’s vehicle to skid off the road, crash into the center median and into an oncoming Toyota SUV which carried five passengers, killing Mr. Feria.”

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Louis Decarolis, 44, of 744 South Segrave, Daytona Beach, Florida. The defendant has been charged with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The District Attorney said that a criminal court complaint charges that on July 19, 2005 at about 7:40 p.m. on Shore Front Parkway, the defendant operating a 1994 Grey Ford Mustang along with another vehicle, a White 1996 Ford Mustang driven by the victim, Carlos Feria, 22, were drag racing at speeds far in excess of the posted 30 miles per hour speed limit. Both vehicles made contact with each other which prompted the vehicles to spin out of control. The mustang driven by the victim skidded off the road, over the center median divider, crashed through a street lamppost and then into an oncoming Toyota SUV, fatally wounding Mr. Feria.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant was arraigned last night before Queens Criminal Court Judge Robert M. Raciti who set bail in the amount of $150,000 bond/$75,000 cash and a return date of August 4, 2005.

Assistant District Attorney Travis W. Hunter of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, Bureau Chief, Peter J. McCormack III, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Richard B. Schaeffer, Senior Trial Attorney, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.