What to Know
- Christopher Bouchard has pleaded guilty in the June 2017 crash that killed Anthony Garriques and Keenan King on Long Island
- Bouchard was chasing after the two men on a dirt bike, believing they had stolen it from his brother
- Bouchard is expected to be sentenced to three and a half to 10 years in prison
A Long Island man will be sentenced to prison after pleading guilty Thursday in the June 2017 crash that killed two men he thought had stolen his brother's dirt bike.
Christopher Bouchard of Mastic, who was first arrested in 2017, pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday in the deaths of Anthony Garriques and Keenan King, and is expected to get three and a half to 10 years in prison.
"I hope he rots in jail," Garriques' mother, Lina Garriques, said after watching in court. "That's how I feel, 'cause I will never see my 20-year-old son again."
Surveillance video captured the start of the dirt bike chase in North Bellport in 2017, when Bouchard followed Garriques and King, believing they had stolen his dirt bike. The chase ended when Bouchard's minivan slammed into the dirt bike, killing the two friends.
The Suffolk district attorney says the victims' families agreed to the plea deal, saying in a statement, "My office worked closely with the victims' families to come to this disposition. We believe this outcome administers justice and hope it brings them a sense of closure."
But Garriques said, "It's a surprise. My son's life is valued three years. I raised him for 20 years and I lose him, for what?"
