Thread: AZ-Plea deal near in crash that killed Highland High girl

Plea deal near in crash that killed Highland High girl
by Emily Gersema - Jul. 22, 2009 02:53 PM

Attorneys are close to a plea deal with a driver accused of causing a collision that killed a Highland High School teen last fall, according to documents filed Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court.

If no agreement is reached, Manuel Contreras-Galdean, 33, will be tried Oct. 26 on charges of aggravated assault and manslaughter in the death of Kelly Tracy, 16, of Mesa, the records show.

Contreas-Galdean has been held without bond in a Maricopa County jail since his arrest Nov. 15.
He also is under an immigration hold; Mesa police said he has been living in the country illegally.

Attorneys this week updated the status of plea negotiations in the case management plan submitted to the court, writing that both parties "anticipate a non-trial resolution of this case."

Prosecutors want Contreras-Galdean to serve no less than 10-and-a-half years in prison and supervised probation if he pleads guilty, the documents stated.

Police said Kelly and her older brother were driving to meet with their marching band Nov. 15 when Contreras-Galdean turned in front of them near Guadalupe and Sossaman roads. Kelly's brother, Matthew Tracy, sustained minor injuries. Kelly died at the hospital.

Investigators said Contreras-Galdean was drunk during the crash and three hours afterward when they obtained a blood sample, court documents show.

Police alleged his blood-alcohol content was .19 - more than twice the legal limit.

Contreras-Galdean also is accused of falsifying employment documents three times between 2003 and 2007. He has pleaded not guilty to three charges of felony forgery.

A pretrial conference where attorneys prepare for the forgery case will take place July 28 at the Maricopa County Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix.


http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilb ... e0725.html

There is a massive aggravating factor that should more than double his penalties and that is that he was here Illegally. If he HADNT been here Illegally this most certainly wouldnt have happened. However, I do also give a great deal of blame to the federal government for not protecting us...

Enough is enough!

A young high school student is dead, a father and a mother lose their child. A U.S. Citizen is dead and a family destroyed because an ILLEGAL was in the United States driving drunk; if he were not in the U.S. ILLEGALLY the Citizen, a U.S. child, would be alive; not murdered by the ILLEGAL in this drunk-driving incident.

Again, "Our" FAMILIES are at the mercy of ILLEGALS and their Anchors being murdered, raped, infected with disease, or robbed. We can see the results of the ILLEGAL invasion in our courts every day! But NOT to worry the Chamber of Commerce will get their cheap labor increasing their privatized PROFITS while socializing the benefits for their ILLEGALS on the back of U. S. Citizens, thanks to our past and current Presidents, the Congressional Leadership(?), and local elected and appointed officials!

Found these older articles concerning the ILLEGAL murdered of the U.S. child and his ILLEGAL EMPLOYER, SAK-Electric and Plumbing,!

HEAVY FINES and FELONY JAIL time for the ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS! Felony Conviction and Deportation for the ILLEGALS!

Man in teen's death faces forgery counts
Michelle Reese, Tribune

June 22, 2009 - 5:02PM , updated: June 23, 2009 - 5:36PM

A man in jail facing a manslaughter charge in the death of a Mesa teen was indicted earlier this month on three counts of felony forgery.

Manuel Contreras-Galdean is awaiting trial in the November 2008 death of Kelly Tracy, who was a student at Gilbert's Highland High School.

Manuel Contreras-Galdean
After his arrest, a deputy went to Contreras-Galdean's Apache Junction workplace, SAK-Electric and Plumbing, 56 S. Meridian Road, to investigate Contreras-Galdean's background. That visit led to Contreras-Galdean's brother, Leonel Contreras-Galdean, 30, being arrested on suspicion of forgery and identity theft. Two others were also arrested.

On June 4, a Maricopa County grand jury charged Manuel Contreras-Galdean with three forgery counts - from October 2003, November 2004 and September 2007. Two of the charges are related to verification-of-employment forms. The third charge is related to Arizona's employee withholding form.

If found guilty, Manuel Contreras-Galdean could face probation or between one and two and a half years in jail for each felony forgery count.

Manuel Contreras-Galdean has admitted to being an illegal immigrant who once voluntarily returned to Mexico after being picked up by authorities following a traffic stop in New Mexico.

According to court records, he pleaded not guilty to the forgery charges on June 15.

He has also pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault and manslaughter charges he faces from the Nov. 15 crash in Mesa that killed Highland band member Kelly Tracy and injured her brother, Matt.

Mesa police say Manuel Contreras-Galdean was impaired by alcohol when he failed to yield as he was making a left turn at the intersection of Sossaman and Guadalupe roads.

According to court records, the manslaughter and aggravated assault trial is expected to start in October. Court records state that he was offered a plea bargain for 101/2 years in jail. The plea bargain is set to expire at the end of July.

He could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted of manslaughter.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/140844

3 suspected illegals arrested at A.J. company
Gary Grado, Tribune

May 7, 2009 - 9:18PM

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office arrested three suspected illegal immigrants Thursday in connection with an employer sanctions investigation of an Apache Junction construction company.

Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant at SAK-Electric and Plumbing, 56 S. Meridian Road, to look over the company’s personnel files.

The company caught the interest of investigators in November when a deputy was booking an illegal immigrant on suspicion of manslaughter and aggravated assault charges in connection with the death of a Highland High School band member.

The deputy was investigating the background of Manuel Contreras-Galdean and found that Contreras-Galdean worked at the Apache Junction company.

Contreras-Galdean is in jail awaiting trial.

Authorities say Contreras-Galdean was impaired by alcohol when he failed to yield as he was making a left turn at the intersection of Sossaman and Guadalupe roads. The collision killed Kelly Tracy and injured her brother Matthew. The pair were traveling to a Nov. 17 marching band performance at Gilbert Days.

Contreras-Galdean’s brother, Leonel Contreras-Galdean, 30, was arrested Thursday at the Apache Junction company on suspicion of forgery and identity theft. Also arrested were Francisco Perez-Silva, 44, and Miguel Angel Cajero-Morales, 44.

Bob Harrah, the company’s general manager, declined comment.

The sheriff’s office has raided several companies throughout the Valley on suspicion of violating the state’s employer sanctions law, which requires employers to check the legal status of all new hires.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/138936

The following link is to the website of the ILLEGAL EMPLOYER of the ILLEGAL Murder, Manuel Contreras-Galdean. Interesting enough on the page that lists the employees only the First Name and an initial is displayed, under "Concrete" the first name is Manuel C., one would wonder if they still carry the ILLEGAL as an "employee" and why they do not list their last names as they do in the "Staff" section.

http://sakepc.com/index.html

I would have displayed the web page but was unable to copy in a readable form.

Man pleads guilty in crash that killed Highland teen

by Emily Gersema - Oct. 9, 2009 03:54 PM
The Arizona Republic

A driver accused of killing a Highland High School teen on her way to the Gilbert Days Parade last year has changed his plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Manuel Contreras-Galdean, 33, pleaded guilty this week to one count each aggravated assault and manslaughter in connection with the collision that killed Kelly Tracy of Mesa, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

At a hearing last month, the prosecutor and the defense attorney had discussed a potential sentence of 14-to16 years. A sentencing date has not been set.

Contreras-Galdean is accused of turning in front of driver Matthew Tracy and his sister Kelly Tracy on Nov. 15 in Mesa.

Kelly Tracy, 16, died later that day of her injuries. Matthew Tracy, then 17, suffered a broken rib.

Mesa police said Contreras-Galdean had been driving drunk with a blood-alcohol content of .192 and was living in the United States illegally for several years. He was placed on an immigration hold and held in Maricopa County Jail without bail.

Contreras-Galdean also is accused of providing false information on employment records, and is awaiting trail on three counts of felony fraud. According to court records filed this week, he has asked for a new defense attorney.

He is scheduled to be tried Oct. 19.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... 9-ONL.html