Paul Michael Anthony Diaz, 25, of Daly City, stood behind a thick glass partition in San Mateo County Superior Court this afternoon wearing orange jail clothing with his long, dark hair tightly bound in a single braid down his back.
Christina Mazzei was appointed to represent Diaz through the county's Private Defender Program. Mazzei was granted two weeks to review the case before her client returns to court on June 13 to enter a plea.
More than 20 friends and family members packed the small courtroom to support Diaz, who stands accused of three counts of vehicular manslaughter with intoxication and gross negligence, and felony hit-and-run resulting in injury or death. Prosecutors said Diaz has a previous drunken driving conviction.
The district attorney's office believes Diaz was driving a Ford Mustang that crashed at around 7:40 a.m. Monday morning in the 200 block of Hillside Drive, ejecting his three passengers, who were pronounced dead at the scene.
They were identified by the San Mateo County coroner's office as Rosa Maria Falla, 23, Jonathan Jade Mouton, 21, and Ruvin Abel Vasquez, 22, all of Daly City. Falla is believed to have been in a dating relationship with Diaz.
Police said Diaz was arrested Monday afternoon, nearly six hours after the green Mustang he was driving crashed into a Honda, propelling it into cement wall at the Cypress Lawn cemetery. The driver of the Honda was not seriously injured.
Diaz allegedly fled the scene on foot but turned himself in to Daly City police at about 1:30 p.m. that afternoon.
