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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story did not accurately represent the total amount of time Morales spent in juvenile detention or total amount served awaiting trial. Morales spent roughly two years in juvenile detention awaiting sentencing before Jan. 16, when he was finally released to his family. Following the crash in November, Morales, who remained at the scene was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Kyle Harrison, the driver in the vehicle that is alleged to have been racing with Morales, fled the scene. Harrison was arrested two weeks later.
A Redwood City teenager who was 17 when he caused a crash that killed a San Carlos couple during a street race in 2022 was sentenced Thursday to 90 days of electronic home monitoring.
Cesar Morales will remain under probation supervision for up to one year following a judge’s decision to keep his case in juvenile court.
Before Morales was released to his parents on Thursday, he spent roughly two years in juvenile detention awaiting sentencing.
On Nov. 4, 2022, Morales, then 17, and another driver, Kyle Harrison, were involved in a street race on El Camino Real at Howard Avenue in San Carlos, when authorities claim Morales challenged Harrison to race after pulling up to the same traffic light.
Driving over 80 mph, Morales’ car slammed into another vehicle that was turning onto El Camino Real from Finger Avenue in Redwood City, according to police. Inside were Grace Spiridon, 42, Gregory Ammen, 44, and their 7-year-old twin daughters. The crash killed the couple on impact, while their daughters and Morales’ passengers were injured and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
During the hearing on Thursday, Jan. 16, the victims’ family members spoke about how the crash changed their lives, sharing stories about Grace, Gregory, and their daughters. They also showed a five-minute video of the couple and their girls through different moments in their lives, capturing happy memories and the deep loss they now feel.
The sentencing follows a Nov. 20, 2024, ruling by Judge Susan Irene Etezadi, who convicted Morales of two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter and three counts of engaging in a street race that caused great bodily injury but not guilty of second-degree murder.
Wow. 90 whole days at home for killing 2 people. CA is awesome.