OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The woman accused of driving while under the influence of drugs and crashing into a retention pond, killing her three children, appeared in court on Thursday.
On Feb. 17, 2022, Leticia Gonzales was driving with her three young children in the car when it veered off the road, hit a curb, rolled and landed in a retention pond in Holland Township.
Gonzales was able to escape the car with minor injuries. Her children were strapped in car seats. Police and rescuers arrived and managed to pull the boys from the water that was covered with nearly eight inches of ice, but it was too late. Her children—4-year-old Jerome, 3-year-old Jeremiah and 1-year-old Josiah—were all killed in the crash.
Court documents later showed that Gonzales had misused a prescription drug hours before the crash. A deputy who evaluated Gonzales at the hospital after the crash reported her pupils were "notably constricted," her eyelids were droopy and she had difficulty keeping her eyes open.
Gonzales was later charged with three counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.
On Thursday, Gonzales pleaded no contest to one count of operating while intoxicated causing death. That count includes the deaths of all three children. The two other counts against her were dismissed.
The no contest plea was the result of a plea agreement that was agreed to by the Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office, Gonzales' attorney and the judge overseeing the case.
This includes a sentencing agreement of 365 days in county jail.
Gonzales' sentencing date is tentatively set for Tuesday, May 30.
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