Ex-FDNY firefighter accused in deadly 2025 Queens crash changes plea to guilty

A fired off-duty FDNY firefighter accused of killing a Queens man in a deadly crash last year changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday.

CBS News New York spoke with the victim's family after the hearing at Queens Criminal Court.

The accusations against Michael Pena

Prosecutors say 29-year-old Michael Pena was drunk, high, and driving more than three times the speed limit when he blew through a red light and slammed into Justin Diaz's car in February 2025.

At the time, Diaz, 23, was on his way to work at LaGuardia Airport.

Pena pleaded not guilty to 14 charges, but on Wednesday, under an agreement, changed that plea to guilty to manslaughter in the second degree and vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, with a sentence of four to 12 years.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 16.

"Justice was finally served"

For more than a year, family and friends had been praying for the moment the man charged with Justin Diaz's death would be put behind bars.

"Justice was finally served," father Franklin Diaz said. "[Pena's] loved ones will be able to visit him. Where do I go to visit my son? I have to go to the cemetery because of the reckless actions of Michael Pena."

"He was an incredible young man with such a bright future, and this man tore it [apart]," the victim's aunt said.

The victim's brother, also named Franklin Diaz, said the sentence range doesn't go far enough.

"There's no reason four to 12 is an acceptable sentence for taking a life. We need stricter laws," he said.

"We were robbed of a lifetime"

In a statement, Pena's attorney said, in part, "Michael has accepted responsibility for the tragic events," adding he "wishes he could turn back the hands of time and take back all of the events of that night. He is deeply remorseful and apologetic."

"We were robbed of a lifetime," Justin Diaz's father said.

A street has since been renamed to honor Justin Diaz. His family says he was a young man who lived life to the fullest, and in his memory, his brother encourages others, to do the same.

"Go see that country you want to see. Go eat at the restaurant you want to eat. Life is too short," his brother said.