Copyright dailymail
A Porsche-driving teenager who allegedly mowed down three people on a crosswalk in Arizona called his wealthy father for help in the aftermath, his lawyer said. Louis John Artal, 19, is accused of crashing his $60,000 2019 Porsche Boxster on Thursday at around 11pm at the University of Arizona before fleeing the scene. Sophia Akimi Troetel, 21, and her boyfriend Josiah Patrick Santos, 22, were walking on the crosswalk when Artal allegedly rammed into them. They were pronounced dead at the scene. A third victim, Katya Rosaura Castillo Mendoza, 21, was walking along the crosswalk as well. She was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and was tragically taken off life support on Saturday. Artal is now facing three counts of second-degree murder and one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. Witnesses said Artal's Porsche was speeding 'above the posted 30 mile per hour speed limit' before he slammed into the pedestrians, police stated. He was also determined to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the fatal collision, according to authorities. But at his initial court appearance on Friday, Artal's lawyer argued he should receive a reduced bail because he turned himself into authorities after consulting with his father, who owns a large business in California, according to the Arizona Daily Star. The lawyer claimed his client went home following the crash and called his father, who told him he needed to turn himself into police. He also noted that Artal's father spent 'significant resources' to hire a private attorney for his son, which he claimed was proof Artal would not flee the state and should be granted bail for his release. 'I'm not trying to in any way take away from the seriousness of the offense, but my client got scared and didn't know what to do,' Artal's attorney said, noting that his client has no prior criminal history. 'This is not just a person who does this and is on the lam and we're trying to find him,' the lawyer argued. 'If he's not driving, he's not going to have the risk to reoffend and the court and community can feel safe with him under the direction of pretrial services.' Parents of the victims however argued in court that Artal has proven to be a threat to society. 'He has a complete disregard for law and human life and demands the highest bail allowed,' Troetel's mother, Shannon, said. 'I believe strongly that Mr. Artal's reckless, thoughtless behavior, and complete and total disregard for the loss in human life demands the highest bail allowed and that he be remanded to custody,' she said, adding she fears he 'could be a flight risk.' She also told the judge her daughter, a college senior, was 'callously killed last night.' 'She was just 21. A thriving university of Arizona senior of the highest academic standing. She contributed greatly to her school and her community, she was loved and respected by all who knew her,' the emotional mother said. Mendoza's older sister Allison Salinas then spoke up on behalf of her family from the intensive care unit her sister was being held in. The hearing occurred before Mendoza was pronounced dead. 'I'm calling right now from the ICU, and we've been here since six in the morning praying for a miracle. We decided that tonight at 9pm we will have to take Katya off of life support, and saying those words feels impossible,' Salinas sobbed. 'Katya was the light of our lives... and losing her has torn our family apart. We are completely broken,' she said before speaking directly about Artal. 'I hope he knows he didn't just take her life, he took a piece of all of ours.' Santos' mother, Mathia Santos, cried as she told Artal: 'I cannot believe you drove away and left them there! May God have mercy on you.' Meanwhile, Eric Strong, an attorney and friend of the Troetel family, told the judge there was 'evidence of an illegal substance' in Artal's bloodstream. Following the tragedy, Santos and Troetel were remembered as two people who were 'full of life, love, and promise,' a GoFundMe created by Santos' mother stated. The couple were 'ready to begin their future together,' the page detailed. 'Josiah sang, he danced, he acted — he lit up every room he entered and brought laughter to everyone who knew him. 'Sophia matched his warmth with a beautiful soul and a smile that could brighten the darkest day. The world feels dimmer without their light,' Mathia wrote. The page was created to help support Santos' family during this hard time. As of Sunday afternoon more than $26,000 was raised. 'We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and all grieving those who lost their lives and our support to the injured student and their loved ones,' the university said in a statement. 'The university is providing direct support and resources to students, faculty, and staff affected by this tragic event.' Adriana Grijalva, University of Arizona Student Body President, said there are plans to honor the students who lost their lives in the crash. In the meantime, Artal is being held on a $250,000 cash bond.
