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PASADENA – A jury today convicted a commercial truck driver of involuntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving causing injury in the fatal 2009 crash in La Canada Flintridge that killed a 12-year-old girl and her father.

The jury of 10 men and two women found Marcos Barbosa Costa, 46, guilty of the crash that killed Angelina Posca and her 58-year-old father, Angel Posca, both of Palmdale. He was found guilty of two counts each of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter.

The jury also found the Massachusetts resident guilty of injuring three people in the April 1, 2009, crash at Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard.

The jury found him not guilty of two counts of murder. They hung on two allegations of causing great bodily injury to two victims and found that one allegation of causing GBI not true.

Deputy District Attorney Carolina Lugo prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Costa returns to court on Sept. 8 for sentencing before Pasadena Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis. Costa faces up to nine years in state prison.

Witnesses testified Costa ignored warnings from an off-duty firefighter who pulled him over and said smoke was billowing from his brakes and warned him the road was worse going down.

By the time the truck reached Foothill Boulevard, the brakes appeared to have failed as the truck ran a red light and slammed into the Poscas’ red Ford, dragging it 150 feet. The truck struck six more vehicles before slamming into a bookstore and nail salon.


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NEWS RELEASE
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
(213) 974-3525
http://da.co.la.ca.us/mr/041211a.htm



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