LAWRENCE — A judge wasn't the only person Gilberto Vega faced yesterday in Lawrence District Court.
Relatives of 17-year-old Evelize Curet stood glaring at the man police said ran her down with his car Sunday morning. A court officer and a prisoner dock's window stood between Vega and Curet family, visibly angry.
"This is a volatile situation," police Chief John Romero said after Vega's arraignment.
Vega, 26, of 51 West St., Apt. 2, and 15 Dorchester St., was arraigned yesterday on manslaughter and other charges.
Police said Vega was angry at his girlfriend, Betzaida Laureano. After she asked him to leave, Vega aimed his black Acura at Laureano, who was standing with her daughter, Curet, and her son on a Dorchester Avenue sidewalk, police said.
With two of his tires on the sidewalk and two on the street, Vega drove toward them and Laureano and her son were able to get out of the way, but Evelize was struck and suffered a head injury, police said.
She was pronounced dead at Lawrence General Hospital.
Officers found Vega in his car parked nearby and arrested him.
He was charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Judge Thomas Brennan ordered Vega held without bail until a hearing today to determine whether he poses a danger to the community and should remain locked up pending his trial.
After the brief proceeding, family members formed a protective cordon around a sobbing Laureano and shepherded her out the door and past reporters and television cameras, refusing to comment on the case.
Stevie Fortier, Curet's father, stood across the street from the courthouse as the family left with Laureano in tow. He said he was angry, but refused to comment on the case.
"What's done is done, and what's said is said," he said.
The Dorchester Street neighborhood where the incident occurred is a short street of closely packed multifamily houses that runs off Parker Street and backs up to the rail yard in South Lawrence. A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles has been erected at the site where Curet was struck.
If he is convicted, Vega faces up to 20 years in prison on the manslaughter charge, up to 10 years in prison on the charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident resulting in death, two and a half years in jail on the motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation charge, and up to two and a half years in jail on the charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.
