SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Nico LaHood said he has serious questions about a drunken driving case involving teens that took more than two years to be presented to his office by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
On Monday, 19-year-old Kaley Medina was arrested and charged for the June 2014 crash that left her passenger, Peyton Grasso, critically injured.
Three days after the KSAT 12 Defenders reported on the delays and the frustration Grasso’s family was feeling this summer, the case was handed off to the District Attorney's Office. Two weeks ago, a grand jury handed down an indictment.
Medina is now facing felony charges for the crash she's accused of causing on June 15, 2014.
Even though she admitted to first responders at the scene that she had been drinking the night of the crash, Medina wasn't arrested or charged until this week, nearly 2 1/2 years later, police said.
"She was speeding, was going 100, hit the exit sign, rolled three times and wrapped around a utility pole," Grasso said in an interview in July. "Eight days later, I woke up in a hospital bed."
Grasso's leg was amputated as a result of her injuries, and she's spent the past few years trying to get her life back on track.
Grasso admits she was drinking that night, too, but said she was incapacitated and never gave Medina permission to drive her car.
Grasso is now an outspoken advocate against teen drinking and driving.
While she's been trying to move past the life-altering crash, she's also been waiting for Medina to face legal consequences for her actions.
"She drank. She drove. She almost killed me. Where's the justice?" Grasso asked.
Medina has been indicted on one count of intoxication assault and one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, specifying the car as a deadly weapon.
The question is why did it take so long for charges to be brought?
LaHood said even though the case was presented to his office before the statute of limitations expired, he has concerns about why the case was not sent sooner.
"I have questions why it took two years and a month. That bothers me. I'm going to be honest with you. That bothers me," LaHood said.
LaHood said he wants the justice system to be efficient and has plenty of questions for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office about the reasons for the delay.
"I'm hoping to get some legitimate and some common sense answers, and if not, we're going to find out why and then we're going to put a plan in action working with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office to see how we can avoid this in the future," LaHood said. "Everyone deserves their day in court, from the victim and the families that have been victimized, to the citizen accused. I mean, it cuts both ways, and also the community deserves justice, in the sense that people that are accused deserve to have a case finalized."
Medina's first court appearance is scheduled for next February. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in jail.
Medina's mother contacted KSAT 12 News Wednesday to complain about our coverage, but she refused to provide us with a statement.
Meanwhile, Peyton Grasso, who's now attending college in Louisiana, sent a statement that read:
"It's a shame that either of us are in this situation and it could have been avoided."