Man pleads guilty in fatal Jefferson DWI crash killing 3 family members

MORRISTOWN – A Jersey City man has pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to the alleged drunken driving deaths of three family members in Jefferson in August 2013.

Luis Torres, 39, pleaded guilty before Judge Robert Gilson to one first degree count of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second degree vehicular homicide, one third degree count of assault by auto, four fourth degree counts of assault by auto, and driving while intoxicated.

Torres admitted to the facts that led to the charges, including speeding at the time of the accident and blood alcohol test results between .15 and .24.

If convicted of the maximum sentences for these charges, Torres could face 61 years and 30 days in prison and $550,500 in fines.

With Torres's guilty plea agreement, the state recommended the aggravated manslaughter and two vehicular homicide charges to run consecutively for a total of 20 years in jail, and all other counts to run concurrently with that sentence.

The three counts are subject to the state's No Early Release Act, meaning Torres will not able to apply for parole until 85 percent of the sentence has been served, or 17 years.

Torres's attorney said he is seeking all charges to run concurrently with the vehicular homicide charge for a total of 10 years in jail, which would mean he could apply for parole after eight and a half years.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 29 before Judge James Demarzo.

Per a prior bail agreement, Torres cannot operate a vehicle while he is out on bail before sentencing.

In court were friends and family of Torres, some of whom were in the car with him during the crash. Judge Gilson thanked them for attending Monday.

"I know this has been very difficult for the entire family," Gilson said.

The arrest affidavit in the case stated that Torres spent the day of the accident, Aug. 24, 2013, at a family gathering at Tomahawk Lake in Sparta.

According to the arrest affidavit, Torres said that he had been drinking much of the day and his blood-alcohol level would probably be twice the legal limit.

Torres told police he didn't know area roads and was following his GPS as he sped and then swerved around a slower-moving vehicle on Route 15. He stated that he "was going so fast" that he lost control of his 2002 Ford Explorer on Route 15 South in Jefferson.

Police reported the vehicle crashed onto a private residential property adjacent to the highway.

Several people were ejected from the vehicle resulting in the deaths of three passengers: his mother-in-law Lucila Colon, 62, his stepdaughter Tevia Booth, 11, and 36-year-old Julissa Colon, whose 5-month-old fetus also died. Torres and the five remaining passengers all suffered injuries.

Three passengers, including Tevia Booth, were under the age of 18.

According to the plea agreement, Torres said there were not enough seatbelts for the number of people in the vehicle, and some children sat in the laps of others at the time of the accident.

A native of Jersey City, Torres is a father of autistic twins with extensive family in Hudson and Union counties, his lawyer said during a bail review in 2013. He had been employed by an adult medical day care center in Jersey City before the accident and had also worked as a truck driver.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com