Drove Drunk, Was Speeding on Peninsula Boulevard, Killing 15-Year-Old Passenger
A West Hempstead man was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges for a December 2021 crash on Peninsula Boulevard in Woodmere that killed a teenage passenger and seriously injured the other driver.
Arlin Aguilera, 37, was convicted on August 21 after a jury trial by Judge Robert A. Schwartz of aggravated vehicular homicide (a Class B felony); second-degree manslaughter (a Class C felony); two counts of second-degree assault (both Class D felonies); two counts of third-degree assault (both Class A misdemeanors); and two counts of driving while intoxicated (both unclassified misdemeanors).
On December 11, 2021, at approximately 10:54 p.m., Aguilera was driving while intoxicated and at a high rate of speed in a 2014 RAM 1500 pickup truck northbound on Peninsula Boulevard. He then crashed into an Audi Q5 as it made a turn in front of Aguilera’s vehicle from Edward Avenue into the southbound lanes of Peninsula Boulevard.
Fifteen-year-old Liel Namdar suffered severe head trauma and was killed in the collision. The victim driver was seriously injured, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury, clavicle fracture and jaw fracture. Three additional teenage passengers in the Audi also sustained various injuries.
Aguilera was arrested in Woodmere on December 12, 2021, by members of the Nassau County Police Department.
The trial began on August 12, 2024, and the jury deliberated for less than one hour before delivering their verdict. Aguilera is due back in court for sentencing on October 4, 2024, and faces up to 25 years in prison.
“Fifteen-year-old Liel Namdar was a typical teenager, enjoying a long-awaited reunion with her friends from summer camp on that December night,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “The girls had planned a sleepover and were being driven to one of their homes to continue the fun when they were broadsided by a drunk and speeding Arlin Aguilera. The crash killed Liel, seriously injured the driver, and forever altered the lives of the surviving teenage girls who endured this tragedy. Every day we place our trust in our fellow drivers when we get behind the wheel of a car or clip our children into the backseat. This defendant betrayed that trust with fatal and irreparable consequences. Our thoughts remain with Liel’s family as they mourn her tragic loss, and we will continue to hold drunk drivers accountable for their irresponsible actions that endanger our roadways.”