OTHELLO, Wash — A 19-year-old man has been arrested for the crash that killed three 15-year-old girls in Othello on Sunday.
According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Presiliano Perez-Pineda was driving a white Mercedes sedan at a high speed on Sunday.
The sedan hit a pickup truck, carrying the three girls, and ejected them into a nearby irrigation canal, where they were found deceased.
The sheriff’s office says Perez-Pineda left the scene after the crash. He was later arrested.
Perez-Pineda is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one of those charges has a domestic violence enhancement due to a previous relationship with one of the victims.
GoFundMe pages have identified the three 15-year-old victims as Yaritzi Flores-Romero, Melissa Romero- Espinoza, and Iris Ramos Cruz of Othello.
“Their absence has left a space that can never truly be filled, but their love, laughter, and the memories they gave us will remain with us forever,” said the page for Yaritzi and Melissa.
“She was a girl who always shined wherever she went, she was a light to the world. Iris had a bright future ahead of her,” said the family of Iris Ramos Cruz on the GoFundMe page.
Perez-Pineda appeared before a judge on Monday in Adams County Superior Court.
His bail was set at $1,000,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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