Murder charges are staying on the table for the 19-year-old accused of barreling into a line of cars in northwest Las Vegas, killing three people and injuring many more in a massive pileup last November.
Today, a Las Vegas judge refused to dismiss the upgraded murder counts against driver Jose Gutierrez, leaving prosecutors' case fully intact as both sides head toward a March hearing and a spring jury trial. Defense attorneys had urged the court to treat the case under Nevada's vehicular-crime statutes instead of as murder, but Judge Michelle Leavitt turned them down, according to 8 News Now. The defense framed the incident as a traffic offense; prosecutors said video and telematics point to intent.
Police say the crash unfolded on Nov. 18, 2025, on West Cheyenne Avenue near North Jones Boulevard, involving 12 vehicles and 18 people, with victims ranging from 5 to 75 years old, according to a news release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Two people, 20-year-old Adilene Duran Rincon, who was pregnant, and 38-year-old Edward Garcia, died at the scene. A third victim, 25-year-old Vanessa Lainez Vasquez, later died of her injuries.
Prosecutors told the court they have surveillance video and vehicle data showing the Infiniti Gutierrez was driving hit speeds of at least 109 to 110 mph shortly before impact, along with a rapid burst of acceleration in the seconds leading up to the crash. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that prosecutors say those exhibits, along with witness accounts, support a theory of willful, premeditated killing rather than a routine traffic collision.
Gutierrez is charged with three counts of open murder with a deadly weapon, along with related reckless-driving and battery counts. Prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty if he is convicted. FOX5 and court records show a jury trial is set for May 18, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for March 4.
Defense attorney Thomas Moskal argued that the murder charges are improper under state traffic laws and told the court his client may suffer from untreated seizures, a concern noted in police documents. KTNV reported that Moskal called the wreck a tragic accident and pushed the court to scale back the charges.
What Prosecutors Say
According to prosecutors, video shows the Infiniti racing into stopped traffic with no sign of braking, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Portz told the court that the collection of evidence points to an intentional act, the Review-Journal reported. The state has submitted video and telematics as exhibits and says those materials will be front and center once the case reaches a jury.
Legal Implications
The fight over which statute applies is not just a technical debate. Nevada's murder laws define first- and second-degree murder and spell out how intent is weighed, while vehicular manslaughter under NRS 484B.657 is handled separately and usually brings significantly lighter penalties. For the full statutory language and penalty structure, see the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS 200.030) and the vehicular manslaughter provision at NRS 484B.657.
The March 4 hearing is expected to revisit the defense motion and other pretrial issues. If Judge Leavitt again refuses to narrow the case, it will move on toward the May jury trial, where jurors will be asked to sort out intent from telemetry, video and witness testimony. The families of the three people killed, and the many others caught up in the 12-car chain reaction, remain in limbo as investigators and prosecutors continue building their case.
Hoodline previously covered the case and noted prosecutors said Gutierrez will not face the death penalty. The judge's latest ruling keeps the spotlight on the video and telematics that prosecutors say will shape how a future jury reads the deadly November wreck.
