toadie800's Blog

Francis Hernandez, the illegal immigrant accused of killing three people in Aurora last September when he allegedly drove through a red light, pleaded not guilty to his charges today and will go to trial in May.

Hernandez, 23, and a native of Guatemala, is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and three counts of leaving the scene of an accident.

He was driving south on South Havana Street in Aurora at a high rate of speed when his Chevy Suburban crashed into the back of a Mazda pickup truck the evening of Sept. 4.

Two women in the truck — Patricia Guntharp, 49, and Debbie Serecky, 51 — were killed. Their truck then slammed into a Baskin Robbins ice-cream store, killing 3-year-old Marten Kudlis, who was inside the store.

Hernandez, who has a lengthy arrest record, became a lightning rod for gaps in cases involving multiple offenders, particularly illegal immigrants.

In Arapahoe District Court, Hernandez pleaded not guilty and was scheduled for trial on May 11 before Judge John Miller.