NOT-GUILTY PLEA FROM DEFENDANT IN TRAIN WRECK LAWYER: NO LONGER SUICIDAL.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer The 25-year-old laborer accused of triggering last month's deadly Metrolink train crash pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 11 counts of capital murder and a newly added charge of arson. A judge ordered Juan Manuel Several Spanish and Portuguese princes wore this name:
After the arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted , Alvarez' attorney said the arson charge filed Tuesday is connected with his client's attempt to set himself on fire before the crash, which killed 11 people and injured nearly 200. ``He poured some gasoline on his body,'' defense attorney Eric A. Chase said. ``And it appears from the evidence that his mind was changed and he decided on another route. It was the other route that, of course, led to the disaster we had.'' Authorities say Alvarez was despondent de·spon·dent adj. Feeling or expressing despondency; dejected. de·spon  dent·ly adv. over the breakup of his
marriage when he abandoned a sport utility vehicle on Metrolink rail
tracks Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid upon sleepers (or cross ties) that are embedded in ballast to form the near Glendale in a botched botch tr.v. botched, botch·ing, botch·es 1. To ruin through clumsiness. 2. To make or perform clumsily; bungle. 3. To repair or mend clumsily. n. 1. suicide attempt suicide attempt, suicide bid n → intento de suicidio suicide attempt, suicide bid n → tentative f de suicide . A Los Angeles-bound train rammed the empty SUV, setting off a chain-reaction collision with a second commuter train. Deputy District Attorney Pat Dixon said outside court that evidence will be introduced at Alvarez' preliminary hearing that will demonstrate why prosecutors filed the arson charge. ``The train, the car and actually some of the victims were burned,'' he said. Accompanied by Alvarez' cousin, who helped raise the defendant, Chase said Alvarez has expressed ``a great deal of remorse.'' The defendant's estranged es·trange tr.v. es·tranged, es·trang·ing, es·trang·es 1. To make hostile, unsympathetic, or indifferent; alienate. 2. To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations. wife, Carmelita Alvarez, also said he is ``very sad.'' ``He really didn't mean to hurt anybody,'' she said outside of court. ``What he wanted is to take his own life. But he said that he felt a presence, like a presence from God, telling him to get out of there, you know? And he tried to move his vehicle, he tried. He never thought that would happen. He just thought the train would take his vehicle.'' She said she has not told their children, a 3-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, what happened. ``He is very concerned about his children,'' Chase said. ``What do you tell your children when you have been involved in a situation like this? And his concern is not just for them, but also he expresses a great deal of remorse and sorrow for the damage caused by his actions.'' Alvarez was scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 28, but the judge postponed the hearing to allow time for a mental evaluation. On Tuesday, the judge ruled Alvarez was mentally competent to stand trial. Chase said medications have reduced Alvarez' desire to commit suicide Verb 1. commit suicide - kill oneself; "the terminally ill patient committed suicide" kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" , but he has long suffered from an untreated mental illness. ``The evidence is very clear that he was hearing voices and having auditory and visual hallucinations Hallucinations Definition Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even ,'' Chase said. ``There is no question that there was some mental illness prior to this happening.'' Troy Anderson, (213) 974-8985 troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Juan Manuel Alvarez is shown during his arraignment on multiple murder charges in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Perry Riddle/Pool |
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