An ex-FDNY firefighter has been remanded into custody following his not guilty plea in a Queens courtroom on charges of second-degree manslaughter and DWI. Michael Peña is accused of driving under the influence, speeding, and running a red light, resulting in the death of 23-year-old Justin Diaz back in February, as reported by ABC7 New York.
Details emerging from the 14-count indictment reveal that Peña was allegedly driving at 83 mph when he struck Diaz's car, a velocity three times the speed limit and at the time of his arrest, he was out on bail but as new evidence unfolded about his past with the justice system and his employment dismissal from FDNY, the judge ordered his remand. Surveillance video clearly shows the moment Peñá's vehicle blatantly ran the red light at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and 107th Street in Kew Gardens, according to The New York Post.
During the court proceedings, the victim's family spoke out, where Toni Diaz, Justin's mother, emotionally declared, "My son's life mattered just like anyone else's. An innocent 23-year-old going to work. It's very, very sad. My heart is broken forever," as expressly stated by ABC7 New York. Prosecutors possess multiple body camera recordings as evidence where Peña appears to admit to the crash, and they also allege he consumed alcohol for nearly 10 hours prior, including video footage of his passengers discarding beer bottles from the car.
Further complicating Peña's legal woes are new charges of operating an unregistered vehicle, obstructing a license plate, and having an excessively tinted windshield coupled with his prior petty larceny, assault arrests, and a staggering 25 school zone speeding tickets between 2023 and 2024. If convicted as per the current case he could face up to 15 years in prison, mournfully, Justin Diaz, a Vaughn College aeronautics graduate was en route to an early shift at LaGuardia Airport, tragically just a block-and-a-half from his home when the catastrophic crash occurred.
