Driver Guilty of Killing Children

Jurors deliberated less than three hours Thursday before convicting a Santa Ana man of first-degree murder for intentionally driving his Cadillac through a Costa Mesa playground, killing two preschoolers and injuring five others.

Although the trial left little doubt that Steven Allen Abrams carried out the attack, the verdicts unleashed emotion in the courtroom as relatives of the young victims, Sierra Soto and Brandon Weiner, linked hands and broke into tears.

Pamela Wiener clung to a photograph of her 3-year-old son, trembling and crying as a court clerk read the verdict, while Sierra’s mother, Cindy Soto, rocked her head back and sobbed. Fathers of both children dabbed tears.

Abrams, who could face the death penalty, sat silently with his head down and his eyes closed.

The verdicts concluded the most clear-cut aspect of the case; Abrams’ attorneys had conceded that a guilty verdict was appropriate. The jury is scheduled to begin hearing testimony Monday to determine whether Abrams should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity.

Still, for family and friends Monday’s announcement was encouraging.

“I’m glad that there was a clean verdict on the case,” said Tom Bazacas, pastor of Lighthouse Coastal Community Church, which owns the preschool property. “I thought it was fair. As far as closure, it doesn’t bring the kids back.”

In addition to the two murder counts, the jury convicted Abrams on five charges of attempted murder for the injuries he caused at the preschool and two of attempted manslaughter for ramming his car into a motorist before driving onto the playground.

Deputy Public Defender Leonard Gumlia said he expects testimony in the sanity portion of the trial to last three to four weeks. The defense is expected to call as many as 20 witnesses, including psychiatrists and others who have come into contact with Abrams such as police officers, neighbors, relatives and friends.

If the jury rejects the sanity defense, another hearing will be held to determine whether Abrams is sentenced to death or life imprisonment without parole. If he is declared not guilty because of insanity, Abrams will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital where he could be held permanently or until he is deemed fit for release.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora Lloyd told jurors she thought Abrams drove his Cadillac through a fence and onto the playground in a selfish attempt to make a judge feel guilty for sending him to jail four years earlier for stalking.

According to witness testimony, Abrams drove past the Southcoast Early Childhood Learning Center once before making a U-turn, accelerating and swerving onto the crowded playground. Besides the two children killed, four others and a teacher were hurt.

Abrams sat still in the car after the collision, gripping the steering wheel, while rescuers tried to free trapped children. Police arrested Abrams after he admitted he intentionally rammed into the children. He later told psychiatrists he had thought about the act for years, according to reports and testimony. He talked about the effect it would have on the judge who handled his stalking case and said it might silence the “brain wave police” he said were beaming him signals to kill.

Lloyd, the prosecutor, would not comment on the upcoming sanity portion of the trial. In her closing statement, however, Lloyd said she thought Abrams’ past admitted drug use, not insanity, may help explain his actions that day.

Thursday’s verdicts brought a measure of relief to friends of the slain children and their families.

“I’m delighted that he’s guilty on all counts. It’s terrific,” said Sheri A. Senter, a close friend of the Soto family.