Progressive Prosecutor Slaps Teen Illegal Immigrant With Lenient Charges After Fatal Crash That Killed 24-Year-Old Woman

A recent court decision in Arapahoe County, Colorado has sparked outrage among the family of Kaitlyn Weaver, a 24-year-old woman killed in a high-speed collision last July. The fatal crash, which occurred in Aurora, involved a 15-year-old Colombian teen who was reportedly in the country illegally and driving without a license or insurance.

According to authorities and statements from Weaver's family, the teenager was racing his Jeep at speeds reaching 90 miles per hour through a residential area before he crashed into Weaver's vehicle at an intersection. At the moment of the collision, Kaitlyn Weaver had been waiting at a stop sign and was speaking to her boyfriend on speakerphone. She was pronounced dead after being kept on life support for two days, and her organs were donated.

The teen, whose identity remains concealed under state privacy laws protecting minors, was initially arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. However, prosecutors from the office of Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden later offered the defendant a plea deal. Instead of facing jail time, the teen received a sentence of two years probation and 100 hours of community service upon admitting guilt.

*The plea agreement has generated significant backlash from the Weaver family and their legal counsel.* Matthew Durkin, the family's attorney, described the outcome as “abhorrent,” emphasizing the magnitude of loss suffered by Weaver’s loved ones. John Weaver, Kaitlyn’s father, criticized both the judicial system and the handling of the case:

• “They [the DA's office] said by doing two years probation, that's probably more than the judge would give if he pleaded guilty,” he explained.
• “You don’t have to participate in a bad system... Now you're part of the problem.”

The circumstances have also ignited debate over broader issues of immigration and criminal justice. John Weaver pointed to what he calls a “collision” between the country's immigration system and criminal justice system, observing that his daughter’s death resulted from multiple systemic failures.

Local reports indicate that the teen had taken the Jeep without his mother’s knowledge or permission. Although she reportedly planned to return her son to Colombia, the teenager is now seeking asylum in the United States.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley responded to public criticism by condemning the teen’s behavior and expressed that the negotiated sentence acknowledges the severity of the incident—while also noting that “no legal outcome can truly make up for the profound loss and void Kaitlyn’s loved ones will live with permanently.”

District Attorney Amy Padden, whose office facilitated the plea deal, addressed the case in a public social media post, focusing on the lethal risks posed by excessive speeding. *“We acknowledge Kaitlyn Weaver’s death was the direct result of a crash caused by an unlicensed teenager driving at nearly twice the posted speed limit,”* Padden wrote, calling the tragedy a powerful community warning about reckless driving.

The case continues to stir emotional and political reaction throughout Colorado, highlighting divisions over juvenile sentencing, traffic safety, and immigration enforcement.