The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said on Thursday that the individual charged with triggering the crash that resulted in the deaths of a family of three in Arizona in December 2022 has been indicted.
The 22-year-old Brian Alexander Torres-Perez was charged with three charges of class two manslaughter in relation to the collision that claimed the life of Cooper, the 22-year-old son of Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb.
The collision also claimed the lives of Cooper’s fiancée, Caroline Patten, and their 11-month-old daughter.
On December 16, 2022, in Gilbert, Arizona, Patten was driving when Torres-Perez allegedly struck the family’s Toyota Corolla with his Chevrolet Silverado during a left turn at Elliot Road and Cole Drive, according to Gilbert police at the time.
According to Gilbert police, Cooper and his young daughter were pronounced dead at the scene, and Patten passed away in the hospital about a week later.
“This defendant’s reckless disregard for life wiped out an entire family,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell statee. “After an extensive review of the evidence, it’s time for Torres-Perez to be held responsible for his actions.”
In February 2023, Gilbert police filed a case with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, stating the crash’s causes as excessive speed, alcohol, and other narcotics.
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According to a later report from Gilbert police, Torres-Perez was traveling at around 70 mph, which is 25 mph over the speed limit, when he collided with the family’s automobile.
THC was found in Torres-Perez’s blood tests, which also showed a blood alcohol percentage of.03.
Torres-Perez is under the custody of the Sheriff’s Office of Maricopa County. He has a $150,000 cash bond.
