Driver In Deadly Tamarac Crash Bonds Out
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TAMARAC (CBSMiami) – A U.S. Army recruiter from Margate bonded out of the Broward County Jail on Monday night, facing charges that he drove drunk, ran a red light and t-boned a car, killing the 18-year-old driver inside.
Conan Acevedo, 40, a father of three and a trusted military officer, stood before a judge Monday facing five criminal charges.
"You have been charged in the first count with causing death to another human," the judge read in court.
Investigators with the Broward Sheriff's Office say Acevedo ran a red light on West McNab Road in the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning and hit a car driven by Nicolas Garcia, 18. Surveillance video from a nearby business shows Garcia's car heading southbound when the suspect slams into him.
Garcia was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries. Flowers and a small memorial sit near the scene of the crash.
The police report in the case says Acevedo smelled of alcohol, did not perform well on a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. In court, the prosecutor asked for a high bond for Acevedo despite Acevedo's lack of a criminal record.
"We'd be asking for a $75,000 dollar bond on count one," the prosecutor said.
As Acevedo's family looked on, his attorney told the judge of Acevedo's ties to the community. The arrest report says Acevedo works as an Army recruiter in Margate.
"He is active military," Acevedo's attorney told the judge. "(He) resides in Broward, 13 years. (He's) a non-commissioned officer."
The judge gave Acevedo a bond of $52,500 dollars. He bonded out of jail on Monday night. The judge ordered Acevedo not to drink but said he can drive so that he can work.
The family of Nicolas Garcia has set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay for expenses. You can find the link by clicking here.