Teenager judged responsible for accident that claimed the lives of three Cuban women in Hialeah

Maykoll Santiesteban, a 16-year-old teenager, is facing trial after pleading guilty for a car accident that resulted in the deaths of three Cuban women in April 2024, as reported by NBC Miami.

The incident, that shocked the Hialeah community, occurred when Santiesteban, then 15 years old, drove his parents' vehicle without a license at over 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, colliding with an SUV carrying the victims.

The deceased were identified as Yarina García Hernández, 39 years old; her aunt, Gloria Hernández Molina, 71 years old; and Liliana Hernández Molina, 66 years old, Yarina's mother and Gloria's sister, who passed away five months after the accident due to the injuries sustained.

Santiesteban was arrested and faced the proceedings as an adult, including three charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and driving without a license causing injury.

Although he initially pleaded not guilty, in February 2025 he changed his plea to guilty, leaving the sentencing in the hands of the judge assigned to the case.

During the hearing, the judge informed him that he faces a possible sentence of up to 65 years in prison. However, the defense is hoping for a lighter sentence, which could include a combination of imprisonment, house arrest, and probation, totaling up to six years under the status of "juvenile offender".

The community and the families of the victims have expressed their sorrow and the need for justice.

Bob García, husband, father, and brother-in-law of the deceased, stated: "What I feel the most in my life is that my daughter, my sister-in-law, and my wife have died. I don't care if they sentence him to a thousand years or just three days; what matters to me is that he gets what he deserves, because I and my family are the ones who are condemned for life."

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