Ricardo Aguilar's family calls for a conviction, defendant racked with guilt

Yahoo

08-02-2025

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A tale of two mothers, one who lost a son, and one who was driving the car that killed him.In October, 8-year-old Ricardo Aguilar was crossing the street on the intersection of Bank Street and Holtby Road…the heart of the Oleander neighborhood.
Judith Deval, was driving a Toyota Camry when she hit Ricardo.
Deval stayed on scene and immediately called 911. She has been full of guilt since that day.
Ricardo's mother is still struggling with her son's loss.
Carmen Aguilar is Ricardo's mother. He was the middle child of her three kids.
'It's been horrible, I cry every day…I can't sleep at night I just….I just can't sleep and I miss him,' said Aguilar.
Ricardo was a student at Roosevelt Elementary, just two blocks from where he was hit. His family said he was an aspiring chef and had a smile that would light up the room.
Judith Deval was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and a felony, according to a recent court filing. The documents say Deval drove north on Holtby Road while using her phone.
She stopped at Bank Street to let children and parents cross from the south sidewalk, then started moving forward after they passed, failing to see Ricardo walking east from the north side of the intersection.
Deval's car hit Ricardo, knocking him forward and driving over him. She stopped and got out; but left the car in reverse instead of park.
It traveled backward over Ricardo.
He was taken to Kern Medical, and airlifted to another facility, but the best efforts of doctors couldn't save him. A witness said they saw Deval with her phone up to her ear and Bakersfield police extracted data from that phone, which proves she was on it the time of the crash.
Aguilar's family wants a conviction.
'I hope she doesn't just get a slap on the hand either,' said Aguilar. 'Distracted driving is just as dangerous as drinking and driving.'
We met with Deval's lawyer, Kyle Humphrey, who says that this is a tragic accident.
'She is devastated by it, she has so much…pain for that family and understanding for what they're going through. There was no alcohol, no drugs, no intention. A simple accident that could happen to anybody,' said Humphrey.
On that fateful day, Deval was headed to read in the park on her lunch break.
Like Ricardo's mother, Deval is also a mother of three, with her youngest being seven.
Humphrey says she hasn't gotten behind the wheel of a car since.
'If I were able to diagnose her myself I would say she has PTSD, as well as extreme emotional difficulty with this. She's in therapy, she hasn't driven a car, she's afraid,' Humphrey said.
Deval is scheduled to be in court on April 30.
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