Man pleads not guilty to DUI, child cruelty in Coachella crash case
A Coachella man accused of causing a rear-end crash that injured a 15-year-old passenger pleaded not guilty today to felony charges of DUI causing injury and willful child cruelty.
Cristian Lucero Leal, 23, is accused in Friday afternoon’s crash at the intersection of Avenue 50 and Oates Lane, which sent the teen into the windshield of Leal’s BMW, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Angel Ramos.
Deputies say that at 4:46 p.m., Leal slammed into a red Honda Civic that was stopped for a red light on Avenue 50.
The boy, who was not wearing a seatbelt, hit the front windshield, causing minor to moderate injuries, Ramos said. He was taken to a hospital, while the Honda’s driver was uninjured. Deputies did not disclose whether Leal suffered injuries in the crash.
Leal, who was released from custody Wednesday after pleading not guilty to all counts, was slated to return to court June 22 for a felony settlement conference. He has no prior convictions in Riverside County, according to court records.
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