Relatives of couple killed by allegedly reckless teenage driver without license launch online petition

Nearly 1,000 mourners filled the pews of University Christian Church in Los Angeles for a memorial service Aug. 17 to honor the lives of Yadira and Marcos Caamal. The husband and wife had been living in San Fernando for nearly 20 years when they were both fatally injured in a two-car collision in mid-July, and relatives are now demanding justice for their untimely deaths.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. I think we’re all still in shock and disbelief,” Natalia Saucedo, Yadira’s niece, said of the tragic and unexpected loss of her beloved aunt and uncle. Yadira, 45, died the same night of the accident. Marcos, 48, was hospitalized and in a coma for more than three weeks before succumbing to his injuries on Aug. 9.

Last week, Saucedo and other relatives — including her mother, Yadira’s sister Isela Saucedo — started a Change.org petition calling on the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to take action. The goal is to ensure that the driver they believe is at fault — a teenager they say was driving the other vehicle illegally and recklessly — is held accountable. His name has not been released, and so far there have been no arrests or charges in connection with the deadly incident.

“Marcos and Yadira were very involved in their community and were always very devoted to their family. They were both such good, hard-working people,” Isela said San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. “I am their voice – and I will fight for them.”

Yadira and Marcos Caamal had been living in San Fernando for almost 20 years when they were both fatally injured in a two-car collision in mid-July. Their relatives are now demanding justice for their untimely deaths. (Photo courtesy of Iseli Saucedo)

“A whole life full of love”

“It’s just so hard to describe – to lose a lifetime of love and joy in one moment, it’s almost impossible to wrap your mind and heart around,” Natalia said. “They’ve always been a part of my life.”

Yadira and Marcos met as teenagers at Culver City High School in 1996 and became inseparable — they’ve stayed together ever since. They married in 2006 and were “always together” — planning vacations, going on movie dates and spending time with family, Isela said.

“It was the most beautiful love story with them,” she said. “They were so deeply in love. It was really hard because Yadi died first and then Marcos apparently went into a coma. And it just happened that they went together.”

Because Marcos never woke up from the coma, “they never had to find out what it was like to live without each other in this world,” Natalia added.

For Isela and her two siblings, Marcos “wasn’t just a brother-in-law – he was like a brother to us.”

“His (Marcos’) parents died when he was 20… and Marcos just kind of blended into our family,” she described. “My parents became his parents, and Marcos became like a son to them.

“We miss them so much — I just don’t know a world without them,” Isela continued. “My heart breaks every morning. … I’ve never been through anything like this, and losing them both is even more painful.”

San Fernando Police Chief Fabian Valdez described the July 15 crash that killed Yadira and Marcos Caamal — at the intersection of San Fernando Mission Boulevard and Hollister Street — as “devastating.” (Photo/Alejandro JSM Chavez)

Isela said they take comfort in knowing that Yadira and Marcos — who attended Good Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch — “were believers, and that gives us some peace because we know they are together again.”

Seeking Justice for Yadira and Marcos

The crash involved three people — Yadira and Marcos, who were driving a white Audi sedan, and an unidentified teen who was driving a black Silverado pickup truck. Isela said they were told the driver of the pickup truck ran a red light and was going “more than twice the speed limit.”

San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) Chief Fabian Valdez, on the scene, described it as a “devastating traffic accident” near the intersection of San Fernando Mission Boulevard and Hollister Street. Photos of the crash show the couple’s car struck a telephone pole and a second car landed in front of them. Both vehicles were severely damaged. Yadira died that same night.

Family calls for action

“On July 15, Marcos and Yadira Caamal were tragically killed by a careless driver,” the family’s online petition, which was posted Aug. 29, reads. “Evidence indicates that an unlicensed driver caused the collision through numerous acts of gross negligence. At this time, no criminal charges have been filed against the driver and no arrests have been made.

“We ask that you support this petition demanding accountability and meaningful action by the Los Angeles County District Attorney,” the statement read.

Shortly after the collision, SFPD Lt. C.J. Chiasson said detectives were investigating the crash as a possible vehicular homicide. Valdez said San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol that the accident is still under investigation and that the case will soon be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office.

“We want to be there for them”

The couple had lived in San Fernando since 2006. Marcos was a technician at Terminix and worked with many local clients. He was also a BMX enthusiast, often building unique custom bikes for himself and others. Yadira was a successful real estate agent and “a very passionate, goal-oriented person who always believed in all of our dreams,” Isela said.

Even though the couple had no children of their own, they loved and spoiled their 16 nieces and nephews “as if they were their own children – they would do anything for any of us,” Natalia recalls.

Yadira and Marcos have always been that kind of people, Isela added.

“They loved and served the people around them,” she said. “Everyone knew they would do anything for us. They were there when we needed them, especially in difficult times when family members were going through a medical crisis – they were always at their bedside.

“Now,” she continued, “we want to be there for them.”

To view the Change.org online petition, go to: www.change.org/p/urge-action-from-la-district-attorney-justice-for-marcos-yadira-caamal.

This article was co-authored by editor Diana Martinez.

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