Woman Pleads No Contest in Boy’s Death

A 55-year-old Simi Valley woman pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter for accidentally killing a 13-year-old bicyclist two months ago.

But Penelope Reeps’ plea, entered in Ventura County Municipal Court, offered no solace to the grieving mother.

“She’s guilty and I wanted to hear her say she was guilty,” said Cathy Peterson, whose son, Travis, was killed as he pedaled through a crosswalk on Erringer Road near Los Angeles Avenue.

“To me, ‘no contest’ is kind of like saying maybe,” she said. “I feel like a victim again.”

A no-contest plea is equivalent to a guilty plea but often is used in an attempt to shield a defendant from possible civil litigation.

Travis Peterson died of head injuries May 7 at Simi Valley Hospital, two days after Reeps’ car struck him.

“She failed to stop at a crosswalk,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin Drescher. Three lanes of traffic had stopped to allow Peterson to cross the busy four-lane street. The crosswalk is part of the Arroyo Simi Bicycle Path.

Reeps faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail, Drescher said. Drescher said he will wait for a probation report before recommending Reeps’ punishment. Reeps could receive probation and some form of community service when she is sentenced Aug. 3.

“She is quite traumatized,” said Nancy Aronson, Reeps’ attorney. “She’s really a nice lady.”

Peterson attended Wednesday’s court proceedings and said she plans to address the court when Reeps is sentenced.

“It would not serve her any purpose to do any jail time,” Peterson said. “But her community service needs to fit what happened. I don’t want to see her just picking up trash along the freeway.”

After her son’s death, Peterson waged a successful campaign to install a stoplight at the crosswalk. Peterson, who stops at the accident site for about 15 minutes every morning on her way to work, said she has witnessed several near-accidents during her vigils.

“Some cars stop and other cars are just flying through the crosswalk,” she said. “That’s exactly what happened to my son.”

Reeps was traveling at 40 m.p.h. when her car struck Peterson’s son.

The Simi Valley City Council has promised to install a stoplight at the crosswalk where Travis was killed, and at two other crosswalks along the bike path. But at the time those traffic signals were approved, city officials said they were unsure how to pay for them.

Peterson has promised to ensure that the money is found to install all three traffic lights.

“I will not allow that to fall by the wayside,” she said.