A California driver, accused of fleeing police at high speeds before slamming into another driver who later died, skipped his court date Monday after being freed from custody without having to put up bail.
Victor Duartemacias, 22, allegedly fled Los Angeles deputies in a stolen vehicle on Nov. 24.
The victim spent more than a month in a hospital's intensive care unit before dying earlier this month.
The failed escape attempt ended with a crash that severed the arm of Pedro Barrera, a "hardworking gardener" and innocent driver, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles, which obtained fiery video of the end of the chase.
A surveillance camera recorded the crash, which sent Barrera's white pickup spinning through an intersection and knocking down a light pole as a burst of flames erupted out of the stolen car's crushed front end.
Duartemacias was initially held without bail, but despite the violent nature of the allegations, a California judge allowed Duartemacias to be released on his own recognizance, meaning $0 bail.
Duartemacias' own lawyer even told the court he had not heard from his client in days before missing the hearing.
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"I feel so sorry for the victims’ family," said Jonathan Hatami, a deputy district attorney who is running in the Democratic primary to become the county's top prosecutor. "My prayers go out to them. We must have a bail policy in LA that prioritizes public safety and the rights of the victims. And we must have a DA who makes sure that is happening. Right now in LA, we have neither. It’s time for a change."
Hatami has been a vocal critic of the incumbent, whose progressive policies have been condemned even by Democrats.
"George Gascon said the LA County $0 bail policy, which he supported, was safe and would make it so more defendants actually returned for their court appearances," he told Fox News Digital. "As with his entire agenda, he was wrong or just not telling the truth."
Gascon's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duartemacias' missed appearance.
Barrera's family has raised about $12,000 in a GoFundMe campaign to go toward funeral expenses.
A 2022 press release from the Santa Monica Police Department identified Duartemacias as a then 19-year-old suspect in a catalytic converter theft with three other young men.
