Tevin Brandt, 33, is on trial in Kern County this month on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and a reckless driving charge, over a March 4, 2023 crash in Bakersfield that killed two sisters who were out delivering newspapers and injured a third. Prosecutors allege the sisters were chased because Brandt mistakenly believed they had his missing cellphone — a phone investigators say was later found in a completely different vehicle.
Source: Law & Crime (KGET 17 court coverage)
Karime Duarte, 21, and her 15-year-old sister were killed in the crash. Their 26-year-old sister, Diana Ponce, survived with injuries. The three sisters were working an early-morning newspaper delivery route in a Honda Accord when the confrontation began, according to the account presented in court.
A night out and a missing phone
The events began in the early morning hours of March 4, 2023. Brandt was finishing a night out that reportedly involved visiting multiple bars when he realized his cellphone was missing. His girlfriend used a tracking application to try to locate it, and the tracking information led them to the Honda Accord occupied by the three sisters.
Gustavo Montoya, 31, also went to the location. Montoya, an Uber driver, had given Brandt a ride earlier that evening. According to the prosecution's account, Brandt and Montoya believed the sisters had the missing phone — and that belief became the starting point of the confrontation.
The confrontation and the pursuit
When the men reached the sisters, they reportedly got out of their vehicles and approached the Honda. The sisters remained inside their car, confused by the accusation, according to the account presented in court. Montoya testified that he saw Brandt bang on the window of the Honda, and that Brandt directed him to follow the sisters before the pursuit began — offering him a tip for helping.
The women drove away. Instead of ending the encounter, prosecutors allege that Brandt and Montoya returned to their vehicles and followed, and the situation escalated into a high-speed chase as the sisters tried to get away. The Honda eventually lost control, travelled through a residential cul-de-sac and reached Highway 99, where it was involved in the serious crash that killed Karime Duarte and her younger sister and injured Diana Ponce.
Court testimony also addressed what happened immediately after the crash. According to the account presented at trial, Brandt approached Ponce while she was in the roadway and, rather than offering assistance, allegedly accused her of being a criminal and told her, "I hope you die." He then left with his girlfriend, prosecutors say.
Police later found Brandt's missing phone in a different rideshare vehicle. According to the investigation, the device had been in that other vehicle the entire time — meaning the sisters were confronted and pursued over a phone that, investigators say, was never in their possession.
The co-defendant who pleaded no contest — and testified
Montoya pleaded no contest in October 2026 to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for his role in the pursuit, and agreed to testify against Brandt. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2026. His testimony places Brandt at the centre of the decision to pursue the sisters, although the defence can challenge his credibility and the weight jurors should give his statements, including in light of his own plea.
Source: WiseVoter (KGET 17 reporting)
What happens next
Brandt's trial began during the week of November 9, 2026, and was scheduled to continue on November 18, with the trial projected to last about 20 days. The charges are allegations: Brandt is presumed innocent, the prosecution must prove each count beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defence will have the opportunity to dispute the evidence and the interpretation of events presented by witnesses. Montoya returns to court for sentencing on December 16.
For the Duarte family, the case is about far more than a missing phone. It concerns the loss of two sisters and the lasting consequences for the sister who survived — and it now asks a Kern County jury to decide whether the man prosecutors say set the pursuit in motion is criminally responsible for the deaths under the charges brought against him.