News footage of Tevin Brandt in court (KGET).
A California man who is on trial for second-degree murder is accused of chasing a group of sisters in his car, leading to a fatal crash.
Tevin Brandt, 33, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving in connection with a 2023 crash that killed 21-year-old Karime Duarte and 15-year-old Jennifer Duarte, both sisters. A third sister, 26-year-old Diana Ponce, was injured but survived. Brandt's trial began Monday.
According to courtroom reporting by local NBC affiliate KGET, the three sisters were delivering newspapers in Bakersfield, California, during the early morning hours of March 4, 2023. In another part of town, Brandt was finishing a night of bar-hopping when he realized his phone was missing. His girlfriend used an app to track it down, leading him to the Honda Accord carrying the three girls.
Gustavo Montoya, 31, also went to the location to search for the phone, joining Brandt and his now-former girlfriend. Montoya, an Uber driver, had given Brandt a ride earlier that evening.
KGET reported that Brandt and Montoya got out of their vehicles and confronted the sisters, who stayed in their car, because they believed the sisters had Brandt's phone. Police said the girls, who were confused by the accusation, drove away. Brandt and Montoya got back into their cars and allegedly began to chase after the girls' Honda.
Police said a high-speed chase ensued, and the girls lost control of their car. The Honda Accord drove through a cul-de-sac, hit a ditch and rolled onto Highway 99, where the car was struck by a pickup truck and caught fire. Karime and Jennifer Duarte died at the scene. According to courtroom testimony, Brandt walked over to Ponce, the lone survivor, while she was on her hands and knees in the street and allegedly accused her of being a criminal.
Brandt allegedly told Ponce, "I hope you die." He then left with his girlfriend. According to police, Brandt later found his phone in a different rideshare vehicle — where it had been the whole time.
Montoya pleaded no contest in October to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and testified against Brandt at his trial. According to KGET, Montoya testified on Thursday that he saw Brandt bang on the car window of the victims' Honda Accord. He later testified that Brandt "commanded" him to follow the sisters before the chase started.
When Montoya was asked by the public defender why he agreed to help Brandt, he testified that Brandt "did offer a tip."
Montoya is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.
Brandt's trial continues on Nov. 18.