There was new insight on Monday about what happened moments before a driver racing away from the California Highway Patrol hit and killed beloved Castlemont High School teacher Marvin Boomer.
On Monday, an attorney for 18-year-old Eric Scott Hernandez-Garcia offered her client's version of what happened. She said the teen first saw an officer as he was coming out of a store buying snacks and was triggered. He then called one of his teachers at Arise Academy for advice.
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WATCH HERE“He asked the teacher, what should I do? And she said, come over, we'll calm you down. Come over, you've done nothing. And as he was going to her house, another officer was behind him,” said defense attorney Roseann Torres.
At some point, the CHP tried to pull Hernandez-Garcia over, and that's when a chase started.
In the moments that followed, Hernandez-Garcia is accused of hitting a car then hitting Boomer and his girlfriend as they walked along a sidewalk.
Torres is also disputing claims the car her client was in was stolen, saying he was driving his mother’s Infiniti.
“He probably doesn't really understand why he panicked other than the whole society of watching videos and looking at police chases and watching the police, you know, harm people,” Torres said.
Legal analyst Steven Clark gave his thoughts on Monday.
“That is not a defense to the case, but it may explain his conduct,” Clark said about the suspect.
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SIGN UP The CHP has said the car was wanted for an unrelated felony evading incident. The agency added they had ended the pursuit before the deadly crash.
Clark expects the chase to be a focal point going forward.
“The first big question needed to be answered is: Should there have been a high-speed pursuit in this case in the first place? That is the most dangerous law enforcement maneuver there is,” he said.
Clark believes the criminal trial may come down to a plea bargain.
“This is not an easy case for the court because you have a very young offender, but catastrophic results that clearly could’ve been avoided if he had just pulled over,” Clark said.
Boomer's family also spoke out for the first time. They say they're devastated over the senseless loss. In a statement, Boomer's sister described him as loving and kind.
Boomer's girlfriend, who was also injured in the crash, explained he gave his life to save her.
“I lost the love of my life. I am living with unimaginable pain, physical and emotional," she said.
Hernandez-Garcia is expected to enter a plea in the case at the end of June.
