A judge decided to continue the sentencing to June for Brandy Teague, 32, a San Diego mother convicted in the DUI death of her 3-year-old daughter, Carlee Ramirez. Teague was high on methadone while behind the wheel. NBC 7’s Liberty Zabala reports.
A San Diego mother convicted of killing her 3-year-old daughter in a crash while high on methadone will have to wait to learn her fate, as her sentencing was continued Thursday.
Brandy Teague, 32, was convicted last month in the April 4, 2015, DUI death of her toddler, Carlee Ramirez.
Teague was supposed to be sentenced Thursday in an El Cajon courtroom but her defense attorney requested more time to review documents from Child Protective Services for what he says are inaccuracies. A judge granted the request and continued Teague’s sentencing to June 17.
Though a frustrating situation for the prosecution, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Aimee McLeod said Teague’s day of sentencing will come.
A jury found Teague guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of drugs, child abuse and possession of methamphetamine.
According to McLeod, Teague’s toddler, Carlee, was not properly buckled into her car seat at the time of the deadly crash on Broadway in El Cajon. Teague’s two sons, Brandon and Christopher, were also in the car. The boys were hurt but survived.
McLeod said the fathers of two of the children – Carlee’s father and Christopher’s father – were in court Thursday.
A judge let Christopher’s father, Enrique Robles, deliver his impact statement to the court because Robles will not be able to return to court for Teague’s sentencing in June.
“For Christopher’s father, if he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get paid. For him to come back is a financial hardship,” McLeod explained.
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As Robles addressed the court, he said he wants justice. Robles said Teague has caused him and his son a lot of suffering. One year after the crash, Robles said Christopher still has problems with his leg and needs physical, speech and hearing therapy.
McLeod said Robles’ impact statement was added to the record and will be taken into consideration by the judge at Teague’s sentencing.
The prosecutor said Carlee’s father will be able to return for the June sentencing and will make his own impact statement to the court at that time.
Teague faces 16 years and four months in state prison, McLeod said.
According to investigators, Carlee was sitting in a booster seat in the left rear passenger side of Teague’s car when her mother veered off the road and plowed the car into a power pole. While Carlee’s lap belt was secure, the shoulder belt was behind the back of the seat, according to a report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s (ME) office.
Although emergency crews performed CPR on Carlee and rushed her to Rady Children’s Hospital, she died soon after. Her cause of death was blunt force injuries to her head and a neck fracture, the ME report noted, and her manner of death was categorized as accidental.
During Teague’s preliminary hearing, El Cajon Police Department Officer Jeremy Fisher testified, saying he interviewed the defendant's young son, Brandon, in the minutes after the crash.
According to Fisher, the boy told him that his mom had been falling asleep at the wheel before the family arrived at a local fast food restaurant for dinner. The boy said he told his mom that they shouldn't be driving.
Brandon suffered a gash to his left eye, felt sore in his chest and arm, and told Fisher he was having trouble breathing following the crash.
