GLENDALE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
There was a step toward justice after a driver accused of killing three teenagers was arrested. The crash happened in August, and the victims' families have been questioning why it took so long to charge the driver.
"I started crying," said Stephanie Groves. "It was like excitement. Still sorrow at the same time."
Groves lost her son, Kiyvon Martin, in the crash. Martin,18, his girlfriend Ariyanna Parsad and their friend Jasmine Marquez were all killed after a Tesla ran a red light near 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road in Glendale and crashed into their car.
"We celebrate him in every holiday," Groves shared. He’s 19 now. We make sure he knows he still think about him and will always love him."
Carlos Gonzalez, the driver of the Tesla, turned himself in Wednesday, according to Glendale police. He's charged with three counts of second-degree murder.
Police said he blew through the red light at more than 80 miles an hour and had THC in his system at the time of the crash.
For Groves, the investigation’s been slow. For four months, she’s wondered why it’s taken so long to press charges when police knew who the driver was.
Court records show Glendale police used the DPS crime lab to run a toxicology report.
DPS data from this December shows the backlog for toxicology reports is more than 2,000 cases, with an average wait time of 99 days.
Meaning families like Kiyvon's could be left waiting months for investigations to wrap up. A constant reminder of Kiyvon’s void.
"You can tell there’s a difference," Groves said. "You feel it. You see it."
As for justice, Groves is waiting to see how this plays out in court.
"I’m content knowing he turned himself it," she said."It makes me feel like my son is at rest now."
If you want to help Kiyvon's family, you can visit their GoFundMe site here.
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