SAN DIEGO — A court hearing for a 20-year-old man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase that ended with the deaths of two little boys was continued Wednesday after both sides asked the judge for more time.
Angel Salgado faces a long list of felony charges including two counts of murder for the deaths of 8-year-old Malakai and 4-year-old Mason Orozco Romero. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2025.
The crash happened in December of 2023.
According to testimony from Salgado's preliminary hearing, Salgado first caught the attention of an officer because he had a headlight that was out. An officer followed him and tried to pull him over, but Salgado refused to stop. It all ended off of the 805 at the 43rd street exit.
The children were with their mom and a family friend on their way to get snacks, when prosecutors say Salgado's BMW hit the car they were in, killing the two children and sending their mom to the hospital with critical injuries.
"I believe in God," said Victoria Hayes, the boys' mother. "He will pay his dues to God here. Because he killed two little boys that were innocent, that had a whole life ahead of them. Two little boys despite everything they were going through, they always had a smile on their face, they were very active. He took that from me."
Hayes spoke to CBS 8 from the hospital. She said she returned this week due to some of her injuries from the crash.
"Malakai was always taking care of Mason," she said.
Romero said Malakai loved shoes, just like his dad did. He loved football, he loved school and hated missing it.
She said Mason looked up to his older brother and loved doing whatever he was doing. He loved to eat.
"I used to say he was a grown man in a little boy's body," she said.
Romero said the M&M Floral Boutique was opened in their honor in National City. It's located at 19 Osborn St.
"Both the boys were my light in the darkness. Now that they're gone, it's been really difficult," she added.
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