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Teenager is acquitted in vehicular homicide case
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Posted on Jan 19 2005
A Superior Court jury yesterday acquitted a 16-year-old boy on a charge of vehicular homicide in connection with a car mishap that killed a Chinese woman.
The six-man jury handed down the verdict after a three-day trial where defendant Ken Salazar Tanzawa was not called to testify.
“I’m so glad for this young man that he’s now free,” said Tanzawa’s lawyer, Joseph Arriola, standing beside the defendant after the court proceeding ended yesterday afternoon.
Arriola said he chose not to present the defendant or any witness to testify as his defense strategy.
Assistant attorney general Joseph Taijeron Jr. said he believed that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence, but added the he respects the jury’s decision.
“We thank the Department of Public Safety for all their efforts. We were confident that we presented the evidence, but we respect the jury’s decision,” Taijeron said.
He added, though, that the case demonstrates the need for accident reconstruction experts to boost prosecution in traffic cases.
After hearing the jury’s verdict, the prosecution asked the court to dismiss charges of speeding and failure to exercise due care against Tanzawa. It had earlier withdrawn a charge of reckless driving against Tanzawa.
The case against Tanzawa stemmed from a vehicular accident that happened on Beach Road last Sept. 18, when the vehicle driven by the teenager struck a female pedestrian who was walking off the road with her husband.
Taijeron said the vehicle suddenly swerved and hit Sun Jun Liu, causing her fatal injuries.
The victim’s husband testified during the trial, according to Taijeron, but this failed to persuade the jurors to convict Tanzawa.
