By Karen Woodmansee
Appeal Staff Writer
VIRGINIA CITY - A Dayton man has pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving causing death or serious injury in a vehicle accident that took the life of a 16-year-old.
Randy Boyd, who was 22 at the time of the Dec. 9, 2006, incident, entered the plea Nov. 16 in District Court in Storey County.
A second charge of failure to render aid following an accident was dropped. A third charge of assault with a deadly weapon was dropped at Boyd's preliminary hearing on May 21.
Storey County District Attorney Harold Swafford said Boyd could face one to six years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 18. He added that his office would make no sentence recommendation.
Swafford said the state Department of Parole and Probation would prepare a report and recommend a sentence.
He said the family of the victim was informed of the agreement and that Robert De La O's sister, Janet, will appear at sentencing to speak on her brother's behalf.
According to Storey County investigators, the incident began when Boyd and Daren Vandenberg, also 22, got into a fight with Robert De La O, 16, Jose Elizondo Jr., 18, David Flores, 17, and Sam Villa, 17, at the Occidental Mini Mart in Dayton.
After the fight, Boyd and Vandenberg, with Boyd driving, chased the Lincoln Continental De La O was driving up Six Mile Canyon Road at speeds of up to 80 mph, when the Lincoln overturned after missing a curve and hitting a guardrail. De La O was killed and Elizondo, Flores and Villa, passengers in the Lincoln, were injured.
Boyd, Vandenberg, Villa and Flores fled, and Elizondo had to be cut from the wreckage.
At the May preliminary trial, De La O's passengers claimed the fight was started after Boyd and Vandenberg allegedly made racial slurs.
Boyd has said he was mugged and chased the Lincoln in order to detain the four men for police.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.