FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
The high school basketball coach who police say was driving drunk and slammed into a Fresno family on July 25, killing a young boy, made his first court appearance Thursday morning.
Loren LeBeau, 42, walked into the Fresno County courthouse wearing an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet.
LeBeau was supposed to be arraigned Thursday, but his hearing was postponed because his attorney disagrees with how some of the charges were filed.
Attorney Jess Hammerschmidt says one of the charges states LeBeau used his car as a weapon. He argues it was an accident.
Here is a list of the four felony charges filed against LeBeau Wednesday afternoon:
-- Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated
-- DUI causing injury
-- Driving with a 0.08% blood alcohol causing injury
-- Leaving the scene of an accident - death or permanent serious injury
Seven-year-old Donovan Maldonado's family was there for LeBeau's court appearance, but LeBeau's attorney focused on his client's suffering through all of this.
"Regardless of fault, which we're looking into, it's devastating what he went through. He feels horrible for the Maldonado family, and his life will never be the same, regardless of the outcome of the court case," Hammerschmidt said.
Fresno Police say LeBeau was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent when he hit members of the Maldonado family, including Donovan, as they were riding their bikes on a trail near Shepherd and Millbrook. Donovan's father and little sister were also seriously hurt in the accident.
LeBeau is the varsity boys basketball coach at Central High School. He is still employed there, but he's been placed on paid administrative leave.
