A Florida jury convicted the father of a teenager who murdered four people in a high-speed crash in 2023.
Richard Ferguson, 68, now faces life in prison after jurors found him guilty of four counts of manslaughter in the deaths of Trinidad Hernandez and her three grandchildren, ages one, nine, and eleven, according to a copy of the arrest warrant acquired by PEOPLE.
Those allegations come from a crash that occurred on Sept. 3, 2023, when multiple eyewitnesses claimed police they witnessed Ferguson’s 15-year-old son run a stop sign while going “between speeds of 76 and 83 mph.”
The car subsequently collided with one driven by Trinidad Hernandez, 50, who, according to the warrant, did not have a stop sign in the junction.
Trinidad Hernandez and her 11-year-old granddaughter were both pronounced dead on the scene, while the other occupants in the vehicle were taken to local hospitals, according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, the 9-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl died at the hospital, while Angel Hernandez, the children’s grandfather, survived despite severe injuries.
Multiple eyewitnesses reported that family members of the four minor guys in the other car, all of whom were 15, arrived on the scene and sought to persuade the boys to leave, according to the warrant.
One eyewitness informed authorities that they overheard a conversation that implied the juvenile driver had his father’s permission to use the vehicle despite his age. According to the warrant, the father refused to cooperate with the inquiry, and neither he nor his son provided sworn testimonies to police.
When police began to question the other adolescents who had been passengers in Ferguson’s son’s car, all three boys stated that Ferguson “let [his son] use the car to drive for one of the boys to pick up a belt,” according to the affidavit.
According to the complaint, three adolescents told police Ferguson moved his own vehicle to allow his son to back the car out of the driveway before telling the lads to “buckle up and come right back.”
According to the affidavit, instead of returning home, the four proceeded to a local park, which they had just left when the incident occurred.
According to court documents, the car’s driver had pled guilty to manslaughter charges as part of a deal with prosecutors that required him to remain in juvenile jail until the age of 19 and then serve two years of supervision.
Ferguson spoke in his defense before the jury deliberations on Wednesday, claiming that he never gave his son permission to drive his automobile, WKMG reported.
He stated that he told his son to move the car to make room for another vehicle in the driveway, but the adolescent drove away without his permission.
Jurors took just over two hours to reach a guilty decision on all four counts.
Ferguson’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. He faces 37 years to life in jail.
Ferguson’s lawyer told reporters outside the courthouse that his client maintains his innocence but did not announce whether he intends to appeal the conviction.
