New details revealed during arraignment of woman charged in deadly crash: 'The devil is in my eyes'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The woman accused of speeding, running a red light and killing a mother and her two daughters in Brooklyn last weekend made her first appearance in front of a judge.
Miriam Yarimi, 32, spoke only to consent to the virtual hearing Thursday, and otherwise looked down or at her attorney throughout the hearing.
She appeared virtually in a yellow hospital gown while sitting on a hospital bed with her attorney by her side.
Her attorney asked for reasonable bail or for her to released, but she was remanded instead.
The prosecutor says Yarimi, whose license was suspended, ran a red light on Ocean Parkway on Saturday, crashed into an Uber and killed Natasha Saada, and her two little girls, Deborah and Diana, who were crossing the street.
Saada's 4-year-old boy has trauma to his brain and kidney and is still in critical condition.
The assistant district attorney said Yarimi said the following while in police custody:
- "The devil is in my eyes... Show me your proof. I didn't hurt anybody... Why am I being arrested?"
- "Uncut me... where is my daughter... my daughter's always in my heart."
- "I need my lawyer... People are out to get me... I need a workup to get whatever is in my body out."
Yarimi's attorney said the criminal complaint against the 32- year-old does not allege speeding or whether she saw the Saada family crossing the street.
The alleged actions of Yarimi have sparked outrage and concern among local leaders, including Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who spoke exclusively with Eyewitness News.
"It actually exceeds just being reckless, it's almost being wanton, we're not going to tolerate that," Gonzalez said.
He said this tragedy is just the latest reminder of the very real and dangerous problem unfolding on the streets throughout the city.
"People are aggressive on the roads, people seem to have a lot of road rage and people are not following the norms of the road," Gonzalez said. "They're speeding, they're running red lights. People go up one-way blocks and, you know, too often they've had deadly consequences."
The charges against Yarimi include manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
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