Nearly three years after Ramon Maldonado-Vasquez allegedly drove while drunk in excess of 100 miles per hour, killing his three passengers, the State is ready to begin a pre-trial hearing.
Maldonado-Vasquez, 20, was indicted on May 3, 2024, in Cullman County. He is charged with three counts of reckless murder for taking the lives of Dailan Kameron Jennings, 16; Cayden Blake Britt, 15; and Evan Manuel Magana, 15. He is also charged with counts of attempted eluding of police, DUI and reckless endangerment. Maldonado-Vasquez was arrested six months after the alleged crime.
A search of internet archives did not produce one news story on the case
On May 24, 2023, Maldonado-Vasquez, who was less than two weeks shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the event, filed for youthful offender status based on his being under 21 years old at the time. The Cullman County District Attorney opposed Maldonado-Vasquez’s request, which was denied.
The court scheduled a pretrial hearing on October 2, and a jury trial is scheduled for November 17.
Court records state that Maldonado-Vasquez was eluding police in excess of 100 miles per hour when he struck a tree. It’s unclear what injuries Maldonado-Vasquez took. However, the three passengers all died.
Since Maldonado-Vasquez’s alleged crime, locals have speculated that he is in the country illegally—a fact bolstered by the fact that he appears to be indigent and has a state-appointed attorney.
1819 News inquired into Maldonado-Vasquez’s immigration status, to which victims service officer Bradley Williams stated the following: “[U]pon information and belief, the Defendant is a United States citizen.”
Until recently, Maldonado-Vasquez’s records were sealed due to his age. However, the state successfully removed those restrictions, putting court documents in the public doman.
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