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Families criticize plea deal in deadly hit-and-run case
The families of two boys struck in a 2024 hit-and-run crash are criticizing a plea agreement that will send the driver to prison for three years, saying the sentence fails to reflect the severity of the case.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The families of two teenagers struck in a 2024 hit-and-run crash are criticizing a plea agreement that will send the driver to prison for three years.
They say the sentence does not reflect the severity of the case and that investigators failed to pursue key evidence.
'Incredibly disappointed’
What they're saying:
Nearly two years after the crash that killed Ashley Nielsen and seriously injured Troy De Leon, their mothers said they remain frustrated by the outcome.
"We are incredibly disappointed," Valencia De Leon said.
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"It feels terrible," Vanessa Martinez added.
Dennis Trost, who was charged in connection with the crash, accepted a plea agreement calling for a three-year prison sentence.
Dennis Trost (Photo: Orange County Jail)
"I don't think it's appropriate for the amount of evidence that was provided," Martinez said.
"He was not sentenced for what he should have been," De Leon said.
The De Leon family also asked the court to appoint a different state attorney, saying they felt dismissed during the prosecution.
The plea agreement has also drawn criticism from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who sent a letter to State Attorney Monique Worrell arguing that her office's charging decisions, plea agreements and sentencing recommendations are "putting the people of Florida at risk." Uthmeier also noted that prosecutors agreed to reduce the charges against Trost.
"It's definitely comforting to know that someone is sticking their neck out and standing up to this," De Leon said.
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Worrell defended the plea agreement, saying the sentence was consistent with Florida's sentencing guidelines and that prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to prove Trost was impaired at the time of the crash. Her office said deputies contacted Trost about 12 hours after the collision and observed no signs of impairment, leading prosecutors to believe a jury could have acquitted him at trial.
Former sheriff's detective and investigator Jamie Copenhaver, who was not involved in the case, questioned whether additional investigative steps should have been taken.
"The State Attorney's Office is equipped and staffed with in-house investigators," Copenhaver said. "If they would have seen an issue with this case while it was going through the intake process, they've had two years. I certainly would plead my case. Why didn't you send the investigators out to do additional investigations?"
Although the plea agreement is final, the victims' families said they hope the case leads to changes in how similar hit-and-run investigations and prosecutions are handled in the future.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Valencia De Leon, mother of Troy De Leon, Vanessa Martine, mother of Ashley Nielsen, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, State Attorney Monique Worrell, and former sheriff's detective and investigator Jamie Copenhaver.