Man found guilty of reckless homicide in 3-year-old’s death

An undocumented immigrant received the maximum prison sentence Wednedsay in 8th Circuit Court in Laurens for his role in a crash that killed a 3-year-old girl.

Gabriel Arteaga-Arteaga, 26, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a Laurens County jury of reckless homicide and driving without a license.

Circuit Judge Frank R. Addy Jr. then sentenced Arteaga-Arteaga to 10 years in prison on the reckless homicide charge – the maximum sentence allowed under South Carolina law for that charge – and 45 days on the charge of driving without a license, second offense.

“As a father myself I am devastated for Chris and Chelsey’s loss of little Maddie so needlessly,” said 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo said following the sentencing. “The unfortunate reality is that this man was in our country illegally, operating a vehicle illegally and driving our roads with blatant disregard for the safety of others. I am hopeful that the time of bad actors like Arteaga-Arteaga so easily making their way across our porous southern border is coming to an end.”

Arteaga-Arteaga, who was living in Spartanburg at the time of the crash, was driving a white pickup truck on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 8, 20-23, along Chestnut Ridge Road in Laurens County when he disregarded the stop sign at Highway 76 and struck a red SUV driven by Teresa Leopard on the passenger side.

Leopard had three passengers in her vehicle – her daughter Chelsey Hines, Hines’ 7-year-old daughter Kinsley, and Hines’ 3-year-old-daughter, Madison.

Madison Hines suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash. Chelsey Hines also received serious injuries as a result of the collision.

Arteaga-Arteaga is an undocumented immigrant and did not have a driver’s license at the time of the crash. When asked for his license at the scene, Arteaga-Arteaga handed the trooper a Mexican identification card. He was denied bond after a judge determined that he avoid trial if he were to be deported back to Mexico.

A witness, Robin Thomason, who lives in the area, testified that Arteaga-Arteaga pulled out in front of him and almost caused another collision just moments before at another nearby intersection. There was no evidence of impairment due to alcohol or drugs involved in the collision.

The trial began Tuesday, and the jury was handed the case just before lunchtime Wednesday. Jurors returned less than an hour later with their guilty verdict.

Stumbo and Deputy Solicitor Josh Thomas prosecuted the case for the state with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Joey Pittman and 8th Circuit Victim Advocate Lauren Powers. Arteaga-Arteaga was represented by Zachary Farr of the Spartanburg County Bar. Stumbo praised the work of his staff and the South Carolina Highway Patrol in securing the conviction and maximum prison sentence.