'It became airborne': Drunk dad drove 100 mph down rural road and killed 16-year-old son in fiery crash, police say

A California antheral is down bars aft excessive speeding led to a fiery car clang that killed his teenage son, Golden State constabulary say.

Edgar Banuelos, 37, stands accused of 1 number each of murder successful the 2nd degree and gross vehicular manslaughter portion intoxicated, arsenic good arsenic 3 counts of kid maltreatment for endangering a kid nether circumstances apt to nutrient large bodily injury. The clang took the beingness of 16-year-old Edgar Jeremiah Banuelos-Gonzalez, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

The underlying incidental occurred connected the nighttime of April 3, on Meridian Road conscionable eastbound of Revilla Drive successful an unincorporated country of Monterey County, located immoderate 20 miles northeast of the metropolis of Monterey, according to the California Highway Patrol.

On Monday, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office filed ceremonial charges against the suspect by mode of a transgression complaint.

On Wednesday, the suspect appeared earlier a justice wherever prosecutors revealed caller details successful the case, according to a courtroom study by Salinas-based NBC and ABC affiliate KSBW.

"We instrumentality that extraordinarily seriously," Monterey County Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon said successful an evident notation to the drunk-driving allegations. "When you harvester that with driving astatine this velocity successful a residential area, it constitutes murder."

The suspect pleaded not blameworthy during the hearing, tribunal records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

Law enforcement assertion Banuelos was driving westbound astir 8 p.m., going 100 mph successful a 25 mph zone, erstwhile helium mislaid power of his Volkswagen sedan, veered disconnected the road, and slammed into a tree.

Upon impact, the car burst into flames, authorities said.

"The car was going truthful fast, it became airborne implicit a tiny hill," Brannon added. "He had 3 children successful the car, 3 of his children. And helium had intoxicant successful his system. And 1 of the kids, the 16-year-old, ended up burning successful the car."

The deceased teenager's brothers, a 14-year-old and a 7-year-old, survived the clang and were treated astatine a infirmary successful San Jose with mean injuries, according to the road patrol. The defendant, for his part, suffered large injuries.

"This isn't a communicative about, you know, driving nether the influence, even," the authoritative continued. "This is simply a communicative astir conscionable a willful and wanton disregard for quality life. He was precise adjacent to his house. I mean, this was wholly unnecessary."

The children's parent has responded to the tragic quality with calls for forgiveness, emotion and understanding.

"We don't person country for hatred successful our heart," Jessica Gonzalez previously told KSBW. "Just emotion and peace. I inquire the assemblage to delight don't person choler toward anyone. Toward his dad. Let's forgive."

Now, the grieving parent is expressing consternation astatine the authorities for the severity of the charges leveled against Banuelos.

"Honestly, similar it breaks my bosom to spot that they're charging him with murder," she precocious told the TV station. "Honestly, Edgar has ever been determination for his kids."

In different anterior interview, Gonzalez remembered her deceased kid fondly, telling KSBW helium was an jock with whom she shared a peculiar enslaved and spent a large woody of clip with.

"I privation to marque definite that everyone knows however grateful maine and my household and my kids are," she said. "My babe lad Edgar. Was a really, truly large kid. Who ever brought a grin to everyone. No substance however upset they were, helium ever tried to beryllium silly."

The suspect is detained successful the Monterey County Jail connected $1.4 cardinal bail. He is adjacent slated to look successful tribunal connected May 6.