Marcos Costa

After a nearly week of deliberations, the jury in the murder case against Marcos Costa, the driver of a brakeless big rig that killed two people in La Cañada in April 2009, announced Thursday they had reached a verdict on at least some of the counts. It is expected to be announced in Pasadena Superior Court at 3:15 pm.

The truck driver involved in the fatal 2009 collision off the Angeles Crest Highway was convicted today of two counts of vehicular manslaughter, but the jury found him not guilty of the more serious murder charges. Marcos Costa, whose big rig slammed into Palmdale resident Angel Posca, 58, and his 12-year-old daughter, Angelina, after his truck lost its brakes, sending the car-hauler through the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and into a bookstore. Several other cars were hit, and the jury also convicted Costa on three counts of reckless driving causing an injury.

A $50,000 settlement between the city of La Cañada Flintridge and the family of the victims who died in a runaway truck crash on Angeles Crest Highway in 2009 is expected to be formalized, according a lawyer involved with the case. Scott Grossberg, an attorney for the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority - of which La Cañada is a member - said they had decided to settle the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Angel Posca and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina, who died April 1, 2009, when their car was struck on Foothill Boulevard by an out-of-control big rig coming down the Angeles Crest Highway.

A Superior Court judge Monday slashed the bail for the big-rig driver that on April 1 barreled through the intersection at Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard, killing two and injuring several others. Marcos Costa, 44, was charged last month with two counts of murder and has been in custody in lieu of $2.09 million bail. On Monday, Pasadena Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench cut that bail down to $600,000 with the condition that he wear a monitoring device, live in Los Angeles or Orange counties while he is out on bail and relinquish his driver’s licenses, said Costa’s attorney, Steve Meister.

The driver charged with murder in the April 2009 Angeles Crest Highway runaway truck crash that killed two people in La Cañada Flintridge is scheduled to start June 20. Marcos Costa, 46, appeared for a pretrial hearing Monday in a Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Pasadena where attorneys on both sides of the case told the judge they were ready to start jury selection next week. “We’re ready to go, and I expect the jury to find Mr. Costa not guilty of all the charges.

A bail hearing that was to be held Wednesday for big rig driver Marcos Costa, who has been indicted on two counts of murder in the April 1 runaway truck collision in La Cañada Flintridge, has been continued to July 10 in Pasadena Superior Court. According to Jane Robison, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Costa was in court Wednesday, but attorneys on both sides agreed to continue the case. Costa’s bail remains at $2.09 million. On June 11, a Los Angeles County grand jury returned an indictment against Costa of two counts of murder, vehicular manslaughter and three felony counts of reckless driving causing specified injury.

PASADENA - A jury is scheduled to reconvene Friday in the trial of the driver of a runaway big rig that killed a 12-year-old girl and her father in a violent crash two years ago in La Cañada Flintridge. Jurors were sent back to deliberate on charges of involuntary manslaughter for Marcos Costa, 46, after reporting Thursday that they had reached a decision on the two murder charges, but were struggling on the lesser charges, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Marcos Costa, the driver in the fatal 2009 runaway truck collision off the Angeles Crest Highway, could end up on probation after a jury on Friday found him not guilty of second-degree murder.  The jury did convict Costa of involuntary manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving for the April 2009 crash in which his big rig, having lost its brakes during the steep Crest descent, slammed into a car containing Palmdale resident...

Family members of the two victims who were killed in a fatal 2009 runaway big-rig crash in La Cañada Flintridge have reached tentative settlements totaling $3.15 million. The settlements - reached with the truck's driver, Marcos Costa, who was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, and the California Department of Transportation - were agreed to Thursday during a conference in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Glendale. The family of Palmdale residents George and Angelina Posca - who were killed when Costa's truck barreled through the intersection of Foothill Boulevard after losing its brakes on Angeles Crest Highway - filed wrongful death lawsuits against Costa and Caltrans and La Cañada.

The big-rig driver facing murder charges for the April 2009 runaway truck crash that killed two people in La Cañada Flintridge is out on $340,000 bail after nearly two years in jail. Marcos Costa had been in custody at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles following a June 2009 grand jury murder indictment until he posted bail last month, said Edward Murphy, who has been representing Costa since he changed his mind earlier this year about defending himself at trial. L.A. County Sheriff’s Department records show Costa leaving custody on Feb. 12. Instead of what had been handcuffs and yellow inmate jumpsuit, Costa appeared Thursday in a Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom in Pasadena wearing a jacket and tie. Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis called for Costa’s trial to start within 10 days of an April 19 hearing.

A $50,000 settlement between the city of La Cañada Flintridge and the family of the victims who died in a runaway truck crash on Angeles Crest Highway in 2009 is expected to be formalized, according a lawyer involved with the case. Scott Grossberg, an attorney for the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority - of which La Cañada is a member - said they had decided to settle the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Angel Posca and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina, who died April 1, 2009, when their car was struck on Foothill Boulevard by an out-of-control big rig coming down the Angeles Crest Highway.

Family members of the two victims who were killed in a fatal 2009 runaway big-rig crash in La Cañada Flintridge have reached tentative settlements totaling $3.15 million. The settlements - reached with the truck's driver, Marcos Costa, who was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, and the California Department of Transportation - were agreed to Thursday during a conference in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Glendale. The family of Palmdale residents George and Angelina Posca - who were killed when Costa's truck barreled through the intersection of Foothill Boulevard after losing its brakes on Angeles Crest Highway - filed wrongful death lawsuits against Costa and Caltrans and La Cañada.

Marcos Costa - the big-rig driver convicted of manslaughter and reckless driving charges in the 2009 crash at the foot of Angeles Crest Highway that killed two people - was sentenced Thursday to seven years and four months in prison. Costa will get credit for time served, or roughly half the length of the sentence. Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Carolina Lugo said outside the courtroom that Costa could end up serving less than three years. The Brazil native was convicted in July of involuntary manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving for the April 2009 crash in which his big rig, having lost its brakes during the steep Crest descent, slammed into a car containing Palmdale resident Angel Posca, 58, and his 12-year-old daughter, Angelina, killing both.

Marcos Costa, the driver in the fatal 2009 runaway truck collision off the Angeles Crest Highway, could end up on probation after a jury on Friday found him not guilty of second-degree murder.  The jury did convict Costa of involuntary manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving for the April 2009 crash in which his big rig, having lost its brakes during the steep Crest descent, slammed into a car containing Palmdale resident...

The truck driver involved in the fatal 2009 collision off the Angeles Crest Highway was convicted today of two counts of vehicular manslaughter, but the jury found him not guilty of the more serious murder charges. Marcos Costa, whose big rig slammed into Palmdale resident Angel Posca, 58, and his 12-year-old daughter, Angelina, after his truck lost its brakes, sending the car-hauler through the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and into a bookstore. Several other cars were hit, and the jury also convicted Costa on three counts of reckless driving causing an injury.

PASADENA - A jury is scheduled to reconvene Friday in the trial of the driver of a runaway big rig that killed a 12-year-old girl and her father in a violent crash two years ago in La Cañada Flintridge. Jurors were sent back to deliberate on charges of involuntary manslaughter for Marcos Costa, 46, after reporting Thursday that they had reached a decision on the two murder charges, but were struggling on the lesser charges, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

After a nearly week of deliberations, the jury in the murder case against Marcos Costa, the driver of a brakeless big rig that killed two people in La Cañada in April 2009, announced Thursday they had reached a verdict on at least some of the counts. It is expected to be announced in Pasadena Superior Court at 3:15 pm.

The driver charged with murder in the April 2009 Angeles Crest Highway runaway truck crash that killed two people in La Cañada Flintridge is scheduled to start June 20. Marcos Costa, 46, appeared for a pretrial hearing Monday in a Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse in Pasadena where attorneys on both sides of the case told the judge they were ready to start jury selection next week. “We’re ready to go, and I expect the jury to find Mr. Costa not guilty of all the charges.

The big-rig driver facing murder charges for the April 2009 runaway truck crash that killed two people in La Cañada Flintridge is out on $340,000 bail after nearly two years in jail. Marcos Costa had been in custody at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles following a June 2009 grand jury murder indictment until he posted bail last month, said Edward Murphy, who has been representing Costa since he changed his mind earlier this year about defending himself at trial. L.A. County Sheriff’s Department records show Costa leaving custody on Feb. 12. Instead of what had been handcuffs and yellow inmate jumpsuit, Costa appeared Thursday in a Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom in Pasadena wearing a jacket and tie. Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis called for Costa’s trial to start within 10 days of an April 19 hearing.

The truck driver accused of murder in the 2009 crash that killed two people in La Cañada Flintridge accused prosecutors on Tuesday of withholding evidence and hampering his defense. Marcos Costa, 45, read aloud his allegations during a Los Angeles County Superior Court hearing in Pasadena from a rambling two-page letter that prompted the judge to again point out weaknesses in his understanding of legal process. It was the third time that Costa — who parted ways with his defense attorney last year after turning down a plea deal that would have dropped the murder charges in exchange for vehicular manslaughter convictions — was scolded in court for not grasping legal protocols in his own defense.