Man accused of killing couple in Atwater crash alleges mistreatment by police, CHP
A 20-year-old man who faces gross vehicular manslaughter charges in a June crash has hired noted Bay Area civil rights attorney John Burris, alleging he was mistreated and falsely accused of DUI by Atwater police and California Highway Patrol.
Defendant King Vanga was arrested June 25 for allegedly causing the Atwater-area crash that killed husband and wife Jose Juarez, 57, and Pamela Juarez, 56 on Santa Fe Drive near Spaceport Entry.
Burris’ office said civil claims were filed Friday against the City of Atwater and the state, seeking damages of more than $25,000.
Vanga is charged with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, one count of resisting an executive officer, one count of attempting to remove an officer’s firearm and one count of battery upon a peace officer. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the claims, Vanga alleges he was shocked with a Taser at least twice by responding officers, in addition to being punched and kicked.
Vanga, a Buhach Colony High School graduate who is an undergraduate majoring in computer science at Stanford University, also alleges he was wrongfully accused of driving under the influence, saying a blood test from a state Department of Justice lab proved there was no alcohol in his system.
Burris and Vanga marked the filing of the claims by holding a Friday afternoon press conference at Atwater City Hall.
During the press conference, Burris also maintained his client never drinks and had not been drinking that night.
CHP said Vanga’s blood alcohol content level was .08 after submitting to a blood test, but the Department of Justice report said that his BAC was zero, according to Burris.
“Those statements made have made a terrible, terrible impact,” Burris said. “Police reports stated clearly that (police) smelled alcohol on his breath and clothes. That did not happen. That could not have happened.”
Burris also said his client “was wandering around, aimlessly, disoriented” at the scene, from the crash. “He was taken down, he was assaulted, he was kicked, he was punched, he was kneed. None of that was necessary. This was a person that needed medical attention, not criminal force being used against him,” Burris said.
Vanga, who earlier said he couldn’t discuss details about the crash, did express his sympathy to the family of Jose and Pamela Juarez.
“To the Juarez family, you have my deepest, heartfelt condolences for the tragic loss of Pam and Joe,” Vanga said. “I can’t imagine how difficult these last six months have been for your family.”
Burris did acknowledge his client is still facing gross vehicular manslaughter charges in Merced County Superior Court. Burris said his involvement in the case is only related to the events that allegedly happened with law enforcement after the crash, not the collision itself.
Merced defense attorney Jeffrey Tenenbaum is representing Vanga in the criminal case, and shared that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week, although as of Friday afternoon, he was trying to get that pushed to a later date.
“We’re waiting for a couple of reports from the prosecution,” Tenenbaum said. “That’s critical to getting a complete understanding of that particular night.”
Victims’ family responds
Members of Pamela and Jose Juarez’s family and friends were at Friday’s press conference. Many held signs that read “Justice for Pam and Jose.”
“We’re going to keep seeking justice for them throughout this whole process,” said Kathleen Castro, a daughter-in-law of Pamela and Jose Juarez. “We support the DA’s office and everything they’re doing, and we hope that justice will be served.”
Castro described how loved Pamela and Jose were by the community, and what a loss their deaths mean to the family, the people who knew them, and the community.
“We’re all here because we lost two very important people to us,” Castro said. “Pamela and Joe touched so many lives. There’s nothing like not being able to hug the people that you love and mean the most to you, and that’s something we want to make sure people don’t forget about.”
Jose was an operations manager and Pamela was a teacher’s aide in a special-education classroom. Together they raised six children.
Details of the crash
According to the CHP, Pamela Juarez was driving a 2012 Honda the evening on June 25 in the westbound lane of Santa Fe Drive when she was rear-ended by a 2012 Lexus ES350 driven by Vanga.
The crash caused the couple’s vehicle to spin into the eastbound lanes, after which flames erupted from the car, trapping Pamela and Jose inside the vehicle.
The couple was pronounced dead at the scene. Vanga’s vehicle, traveling northwest, crashed into a chain-link fence and overturned.
He was released after posting $415,000 bail.
Burris well-known civil rights attorney
Vanga’s next court hearing on the criminal charges in Merced County Superior Court is scheduled for Tuesday.
Tom Pfieff, the lead prosecutor in the criminal case against Vanga, declined to comment on a potential civil lawsuit against Atwater police and CHP.
Burris has handled many high-profile cases of alleged police abuse. He represented the family of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old man who was killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in 2009.
According to Burris’ website, his client list also has included Rodney King, Barry Bonds and late rapper Tupac Shakur.
This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 6:37 PM.