AURORA, Colo. — A man convicted in connection with a crash that killed a mother and her daughter in Aurora in 2022 was sentenced Wednesday to more than 50 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
In December, Juan Pablo Pascual-Licea was convicted on all counts after a three-day trial in Arapahoe County District Court. He was convicted of the following;
- Vehicular homicide - DUI (two counts)
- Vehicular assault - DUI (two counts)
- Child abuse - knowingly/recklessly causing serious bodily injury
- Child abuse - knowingly/recklessly causing death
The convictions are related to an April 8, 2022, crash. On that day, a mother, father and their two children were driving home from celebrating their daughter's 6th birthday when their SUV was hit by a truck going the wrong direction on South Chambers Road near East 6th Avenue in Aurora.
The investigation revealed that Pascual-Licea was driving more than 80 mph when the crash happened. The 10-year-old boy and his father suffered serious injuries but survived. The girl, Mira Watson, and her mother, Megan Watson, died at the hospital.
Police said Pascual-Licea hit a bicyclist and then almost hit a group of teenagers in a crosswalk before the crash.
Nearly an hour after the crash, Pascual-Licea's blood alcohol content was .181. That's more than twice the legal limit, the DA's office said.
He received a 32-year sentence for the charge of child abuse resulting in death, which will be served concurrent to several other counts. He was sentenced to 20 years for the charge of child abuse causing injury, which will run consecutive, meaning he will serve a total of 52 years. If released, he would be required to serve six years of parole.
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