An Indiana man who tore through Indianapolis streets at 140 mph, triggering a deadly wreck that left three people dead during a police chase, got a measly nine-year sentence—sparking fury over what victims’ families call a slap on the wrist.
Crash Stacks Kia on Top of Ford Mustang
Luis Leyba-Gonzalez, just 21, was cruising in his Dodge Challenger back in September 2023 when cops tried to stop him. Instead of pulling over, he stomped on the gas, racing through red lights at nearly 100 mph with his 14-year-old brother and 32-year-old cousin in the car. The horrific crash killed Makayla Hankins, a newlywed barely older than Leyba-Gonzalez himself, along with his own passengers.
Prosecutors threw the book at him with 12 felony charges, from reckless homicide to driving high. But in a plea deal that’s got everyone furious, he copped to only nine counts. Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison let him off even lighter, sentencing him on just three counts of resisting arrest causing death.
Here’s the kicker: of those nine years, he’ll serve barely two behind bars. The rest? Probation and community service. Prosecutors wanted 25 years. His lawyer fought for three. The result? A gut punch to the victims’ families and cops alike.
The Indianapolis FOP didn’t hold back, blasting the sentence as a “miscarriage of justice” and accusing the system of going soft. And who can blame them? This wasn’t just reckless—it was a deadly joyride that wiped out lives in seconds.
The fatal crash remains a stark example of how reckless driving and legal discretion can collide, leaving grieving families questioning whether the justice system truly delivers accountability when lives are lost.
Source/Image via Indiana State Police
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