A preliminary exam for the man accused in the death of off-duty Flint police officer Vincent D’Anna was rescheduled last week after his defense attorney withdrew from the case.
Citing a ‘break-down in the attorney-client? relationship, Clarkston attorney Arthur Greenstone asked for permission to step down and handed the case off to court-appointed Elias Escobedo Jr., who asked for time to prepare.
Judge Kelly Kostin granted both requests, and rescheduled the exam for Oct. 11.
Ramon Pineda was charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly rear-ended a motorcycle driven by Vincent Owen D’Anna on Sashabaw Road in Independence Township Aug. 26.
Witnesses told police Pineda hit D’Anna a second time, dragging him under the car while attempting to flee the scene.
Bystanders tackled the man, who later told police he consumed seven beers before the accident, as he attempted to flee on foot, while others help lift the car off D’Anna.
D’Anna, 26, died the following morning at Genysis Health Park in Grand Blanc.
Prosecutors also added an additional charge in the case Friday, after an ongoing investigation revealed Pineda was using a false name.
Investigators told Judge Kostin that interviews with Pineda’s wife revealed he assumed a cousin’s name after experiencing difficulty in obtaining identification of his own.
Several pieces of ID were discovered, they said, with photos of the same individual, but different names and birth dates.
Pineda, who entered the U.S. illegally about 12 years ago, also goes by the name Reyes Salas.
Communicating through a translator, Pineda was told he now faces a fourth count of false certification of personal information, a 1-5 year offense.
Pineda stood mute when the new charge was read, and Escobedo asked the court to enter a plea of not guilty on his client’s behalf.
Pineda is also charged with:
? Murder 2nd Degree, penalty up to life in prison;
? Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death, a 15-year felony;
? Leaving the Scene of an Accident Causing Death, a 5 year felony; and
? Driving While License Suspended.
‘We’re devastated,? said Kristine Cobb, noting her husband Dean Cobb and D’Anna were ‘best friends.?
‘We’re all just sticking together now,? she said. ‘It’s all we can do.?
Cobb said the group planned to attend all court appearances related to the case. Most were clad in matching black T-shirts bearing D’Anna’s name and picture, followed by, ‘May justice be served,?
Other friends’many in the group attended high school together’said D’Anna was ‘the guy who didn’t care what anyone else thought of him, someone who was always there when you needed him.?
And, while D’Anna’s immediate family declined general comment, they did want to express a message of gratitude to the community.
‘We really want to thank everyone who was there that day and has been there for us ever since,? said Camille Leinbach, D’Anna’s sister.
The family named witnesses and bystanders who helped lift the car off D’Anna, Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, Flint Police, Independence Township fire and rescue personnel, Oakland County Prosecutor and a litany of others.
‘I don’t want to forget anyone,? Leinbach said. ‘We’ll never be able to thank them enough.?
The rescheduled preliminary exam, which will determine whether enough evidence exists to send the case to trial at the 6th Circuit Court, was postponed until 1:30 p.m., Thurs. Oct 11.