Store owners plead guilty to providing alcohol to underage driver who killed a family in California

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Two liquor store owners have pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to an underage driver who killed a young family in Long Beach, California in 2019.

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According to KTLA, Amor Amacio, 60, and her daughter, Syntyche Amacio, 28, both plead guilty for their roles that lead to the deaths of the Awaida family on October 31, 2019.

The crash happened, according to KTLA, when Joseph Awaida, 30; Raihan Awaida, 32; and their 3-year-old son were trick-or-treating and Carlo Navarro, then 20 years old, hit them with his car. The father died the morning after the crash, the boy died two days later and the mother passed away about a month later. Navarro was arrested and charged with three counts of murder. He is expected in court on September 15.

In video obtained by prosecutors, according to KABC, Amacio was shown handling a bottle of whiskey to Navarro without asking for a proper identification card and he did not pay for it. Navarro allegedly told investigators in a statement that the woman was aware he was underage and had sold him alcohol in the past, and that she told him to pay the following day.

On Wednesday, Amor was convicted of furnishing alcohol to a minor who later caused great bodily damage or death, according to KTLA. She can never hold a liquor license or participate in any businesses that sell alcoholic beverages in the state of California. Amor has been sentenced to a year in jail, five years of probation and 720 hours of community service. KTLA said she will also have to provide proof of up to a million in civil liability insurance for restitution to the victims’ family.

According to KTLA, Amor has also been convicted of conspiracy to obstruct licensing provisions of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act because she was operating the liquor store without approval from ABC.

Amor’s daughter, Syntyche, plead guilty to conspiracy to obstruct licensing provisions of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act as the “paper owner” of the liquor store, said KABC. Prosecutors said that Syntyche had applied for a license and was issued it for operating the liquor store but it was actually run by her mother who ABC would not issue one to after another legal matter.

KABC said that Syntyche was not physically in the store when Amor provided the alcohol to Navarro and they had no evidence she had ever provided alcohol to minors before.

According to KTLA, Syntyche has been banned from holding a liquor license and has been sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community services.

Both Amor and Syntyche are required to donate about a thousand dollars to a local charity chosen by Awaida’s family, KTLA said.

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