Man accused of killing Riverside boy in head-on collision in court

A man accused of causing a head-on collision in Riverside that left a boy dead and his three siblings seriously injured while driving more than 100 mph and under the influence of marijuana pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree murder and other charges.

Andres Laris, 23, of Riverside, was arrested Thursday after about a year-long investigation by Riverside Police.

In addition to murder, Laris is accused of three cases of traffic violations causing serious bodily harm.

He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun, who scheduled a plea bargain hearing for August 28 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Laris's lawyer has also filed a motion to reduce bail, and the hearing will take place on the same day.

The defendant is being held in the Robert Presley Jail on $1 million bail.

Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said Friday that traffic investigators completed their investigation into the crash earlier this month that killed 8-year-old Obed Liam Barbosa Carbajal of Riverside.

Their findings led to sufficient prosecution, and according to Railsback, an arrest warrant was obtained and served on the defendant at his Hershey Way residence on Thursday.

Obed's then 25-year-old sister Kially Carbajal and his two siblings, 16-year-old Mario and 10-year-old Kiara, were seriously injured in the collision.

The latter suffered the most serious injuries – a blow to the head, two broken legs and a broken vertebra. She is still recovering. Kially Carbajal suffered a broken arm and foot and has since recovered. Mario, who was in the passenger seat of his sister's car, suffered severe head trauma that required surgery. He has since recovered.

Kially Carbajal was driving her younger siblings to school on the morning of May 16, 2023.

According to police and an investigation by the Carbajal family's attorneys, Laris was driving his 2020 Honda Civic westbound on Arlington Avenue, reportedly traveling “more than 100 mph” when he lost control at Stover Avenue.

Railsback said he failed to negotiate a curve and “due to his high speed” crossed the intersection into the oncoming lane.

“He collided head-on with the 2015 Nissan Sentra, which was traveling east on Arlington,” the police spokesman said.

The collision left both vehicles wrecked and everyone involved was trapped.

The Riverside Fire Department rescued them a short time later. Obed was pronounced dead at the scene.

Laris, like the victim's siblings, was seriously injured and hospitalized for an indefinite period of time.

Railsback said investigators decided to charge him with murder based on the defendant's past conduct, which included two speeding convictions, one of which led to him taking an online traffic safety course that warned: “Speeding is dangerous because it increases the risk of a crash and reduces the time the driver has to react and avoid a collision.”

The traces of cannabis in his blood after he was admitted to hospital indicated that he was likely under the influence of cannabis, which Railsback said provided further justification for charges.

There are no previous criminal convictions against Laris.

In December, the Carbajal family announced a lawsuit against the city and the defendant, accusing both of negligence.

The civil suit, which is still pending, blames city authorities in part for the accident. Plaintiffs accuse the city of failing to implement a plan developed in 2015 to install a traffic light and various other road safety improvements at the intersection.

According to the plaintiffs, residents in the area had repeatedly complained about the need for changes. Between 2009 and 2023, there were nearly 30 collisions in the Arlington and Stover area, including three fatal ones, according to the lawsuit.

Arlington is a major traffic corridor through the western half of the city, and the point of impact occurred on a curve in the road where speeding is not uncommon.

Man accused of killing Riverside boy in head-on collision in court

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