Teen to Serve 4 Months for Crash

The images of James Patterson’s four friends were everywhere around him in juvenile court Friday as the Anaheim teenager was sentenced to four months in jail for the drunk-driving crash that killed them in the Victorville desert last year.

The 18-year-old Patterson, an Eagle Scout and senior at Katella High School, wept during a three-hour sentencing hearing at which relatives of the victims tearfully detailed their anguish.

At one point, the mother of victim John Thornton, 18, of Anaheim, placed before Patterson a photograph of her son, dead in his casket.

“Do you recognize him?” Christine Thornton asked.

Patterson looked at the picture for a few moments, then bowed his head without answering.

Patterson, who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving two weeks ago, was ordered to begin his sentence, possibly in Huntington Beach City Jail,on June 13 after his final examinations at school.

Under terms of the plea agreement, Patterson also must spend four months in a residential alcohol-rehabilitation center and spend a year on probation. An unusual feature of the sentence, which was made final during Friday’s hearing, requires Patterson to display in his room photographs of the crashed Suburban and three of the friends who died. The mother of the fourth victim did not want her son’s photograph used.

“This is the most heart-rending case I’ve ever seen,” said San Bernardino County Juvenile Court Referee Joseph M. Petrasek.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Colin Bilash, who agreed to the sentencing terms two weeks ago, said Friday he nearly sought to revoke the deal because Patterson continued to deny alcohol was a cause for the crash. The prosecutor read from a pre-sentencing report in which Patterson told a probation officer that he “does not feel his consuming alcohol had anything to do with the accident.”

The report was not made public because Patterson was a juvenile when the crash occurred.

“When he talks about the use of alcohol, I do not get any sense he thinks he’s got a problem, and that’s what frightens me more than anything else, because he’s going to get out and he’s going to be out on the streets again,” Bilash said.

The July 29 crash, following an overnight desert outing, also killed Jonothan Croweagle Fabbro, 16, of Garden Grove; Steven Richard Bender, 18, of Orange; and Anthony Fuentes Jr., 17, of Anaheim. Three other passengers recovered from their injuries.

Patterson, who was 17 at the time, suffered only minor injuries. His blood-alcohol level was 0.17%, more than twice the legal limit for adults and 17 times the limit for drivers under 21. He told police he had 10 beers around the campfire and slept four hours in the back of the Suburban, figuring that was enough to sober up. A police report shows he was driving at least 58 mph.

Patterson sat alone at the end of the defense table during Friday’s hearing. He did not address the court, except to answer ‘yes’ to questions from Petrasek regarding the sentence. Patterson’s parents sat, stoically, a few feet away.

Emotions ran high in the packed little courtroom as a parade of victims’ relatives, some who have known Patterson for years, recounted the grief they have endured since first getting word of the fatal crash.

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Parents pinned photographs of their dead children on suspenders and carried framed family portraits to the lectern. Some tearfully lashed out at Patterson, while others urged him to seek help and work off his debt by teaching about his mistake.

“You must dedicate your life, James, to making sure this never happens again,” said Brad Bender, father of Steven Bender, who was a close friend of Patterson.

“The message that is sent out is that alcohol kills,” said William Thornton, father of John Thornton. “This message has not been sent out yet.”

Bilash said Patterson should have been prosecuted as an adult. But he said the law does not list Patterson’s offenses among those for which a juvenile with a clean record can be tried as a grown-up. Bilash called for a change in law to allow such a case to go to adult court, where possible sentences are more severe.

Patterson declined to comment after the hearing.

Asked if his son has learned from the tragedy, David Patterson said, “He has. No question about it.” He declined to comment further.

Under the sentence, Patterson cannot attend his graduation, senior prom or other extracurricular activities. He will remain under his parents’ supervision during his probation. Patterson also is to perform 175 hours of community service.

The court hearing pointed up deep differences among victims’ relatives on who to blame for the crash, including Patterson’s parents. The parents of Steven Bender said they had forgiven James Patterson. But the aunt of Jonothan Croweagle Fabbro said the short jail sentence was too lenient, labeling Patterson’s offense “no less than someone being murdered on the street.” Anthony Fuentes Sr. said Patterson robbed him of an only son.

Others, including the sister of Anthony Fuentes Jr., said all eight teens on the beer-drinking outing shared responsibility.

“Every teenager on this trip knew what they were doing. . . . My brother was not killed by anyone. He died in a car accident,” said Geovanna Fuentes, 18, who remains friends with Patterson.

The brother of John Thornton urged Patterson to turn himself around.

“You managed to get the Eagle Scout honor,” said James Thornton. “The least you can do is save yourself.”