Las Vegas jurors returned a guilty verdict against a man who was speeding when he killed a teen in a crash two years ago.
The jury found Jesus Barraza, 18 at the time of the collision, guilty of reckless driving resulting in death. They reached their verdict only about an hour after they began deliberations.
Devin Heath, 17, died at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center following the March 18, 2024 crash around 9:20 p.m. at Tree Line Drive and Back Woods Road, near Lewis Family Park in southeast Las Vegas.
Deputy District Attorney Afan Tarar said in a closing argument that Barraza was driving more than double the speed limit when he hit Heath, who was crossing the street from the park.
Barraza and another driver were “racing down Tree Line” just before the crash, Tarar said. Afterwards, witnesses stopped the defendant and called 911, he said.
Defense attorney Melanie Scheible did not dispute that Barraza was speeding.
“He was driving too fast and that resulted in Devin’s death,” she said in a closing argument.
But she suggested the jury could find her client guilty of vehicular manslaughter instead of reckless driving.
“He was not acting willfully,” she said. “If he could have seen Devin, he would have stopped.”
She denied that Barraza had been drag racing.
Tarar showed the jury a table that indicated Barraza sped up in the seconds before the crash, eventually reaching a speed of 73 miles per hour.
He acknowledged that Heath was jaywalking when he was hit, but said Barraza violated his duties as a driver.
“He’s driving double the speed limit in a 30 mile per hour zone,” said Tarar. “Nobody’s forcing him to do that. He’s doing it of his own accord. That’s willful. And he’s speeding up.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
