MIAMI – A 26-year-old man accused of causing three deaths — a teacher, her husband, and her mother — while fleeing from police in a stolen Range Rover appeared in court on Wednesday in Miami-Dade County.
Rodney Rodriguez, who required a translator, appeared before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Delancy for the case of three counts of vehicular homicide.
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Rodriguez was still in negotiations with prosecutors who were in communication with the three victims’ next of kin, his defense attorney told Delancy in court.
The fatal crash was at about 6:20 a.m., on Aug. 31, 2021, at the intersection of Southwest 92 Avenue and Sunset Drive.
The victims were Karina Diaz Chacon, a private school preschool teacher; her husband, Adalberto Hernandez Cereijo; and her mother, Elena Chacon Diaz.
Diaz, who was 49, was beloved by colleagues, children and parents at The Creative Learning Center, a private school in Miami-Dade’s The Crossings neighborhood.
Diaz and her husband, Hernandez, 51, were on their way to take Chacon, 75, to an appointment for treatment since her kidneys were failing.
Delancy asked Rodriguez to return to court for a plea hearing on April 22.
This is a developing story. Local 10 News Photojournalist Lani Yasuk-Carrier contributed to this report.