The Driver That Killed Monique Muñoz Has Finally Been Sentenced, Her Family Is Not Satisfied With The Outcome
Courtesy Crespin family; PHOTO VIA LAPD WEST TRAFFIC
The tragic case of Monique Muñoz has finally reached a conclusion—albeit, not exactly a satisfying one.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced the teen who killed Monique Muñoz to nine months at a juvenile detention facility. The teen had been driving and speeding recklessly when he hit Muñoz with his car.
Additionally, the teen will serve four years of probation. The teen had previously admitted to felony vehicular manslaughter.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sabina Helton said the teen “needs to be held accountable the same as any other kid who appears in this court”. Ostensibly, Helton was referring to the teen’s wealth. The Judge also condemned the teen’s parents for enabling his behavior, saying the 18-year-old has had a “consistent lack of accountability” in his life.
In March of 2021, Monique Muñoz’s death made headlines because of the unsettling details surrounding her death.
On February 17th, Muñoz was killed by a reckless teen driver who was allegedly engaging in street racing. The ensuing public outcry was in response to the behavior of both the teen and his father, James Khuri.
Khuri is a Los Angeles-based millionaire and real estate tycoon who collects luxury cars as a hobby. In the wake of Muñoz’s death, Khuri continued to brag about his lavish lifestyle and post pictures of his expensive cars.
Social media users accused the authorities of going easy on the driver because of his wealth and privilege. After going free for months after the accident, the teen was finally arrested in March and charged in April.
And since the trial, further details of the case have come out that are even more shocking.
According to the Los Angeles Times, when he killed Muñoz, the teenaged defendant had already been driving on a suspended license after receiving multiple citations for speeding. His parents had just paid for his $218,000 Lamborghini to be taken out of an impound mere weeks before the fatal crash.
Authorities testified that, leading up to the crash, the teen had bragged on social media about “drifting” and “other street racing activity.” Additionally, the driver was going in excess of 100mph in a 35mph zone with his girlfriend in the car when he struck and killed Muñoz.
Although the teen was in tears and effusively apologetic throughout the trial, the LA Times described his social media posts as “brash and condescending” throughout the deposition—indicating that his remorse was not as genuine as it appeared.
Muñoz’s family—who is still grieving the lost of their loved one—wishes that the sentencing was harsher, but they are satisfied with the little justice that has been served.
“House arrest in a mansion is not punishment,” Muñoz’s cousin, Cynthia Crespin, said in court last week. “He took an innocent life in a careless and senseless way.” “I call it the lollipop sentence and going to Camp Snoopy,” said Muñoz’s uncle, Richard Cartier of the sentence.
Meanwhile, the teen’s father continues to post pictures of his sports cars on his Instagram page. His latest caption? “Sunday night fun with the family! Yes the cars to [sic]!💪🏼💪🏼.” He hashtagged the post: #Lamborghini.
