A Lakeland man charged with vehicular homicide in connection with a crash that killed three people faced a Polk County judge Tuesday.

  • Michael Joseph Marrero, 27, taken to Polk County Jail
  • 3 people died in July 9 crash
  • Police think Marrero was speed racing

Michael Joseph Marrero, 27, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, the Lakeland Police Department announced Monday night.

The crash occurred July 9, 2016. Police said a vehicle driven by Marrero was speed racing when it lost control and entered the northbound lanes of U.S. 98 North.

The front of Marrero's Volkswagen collided with a Nissan, which rotated, flipped and came to a rest 30 feet from the point of impact, police said.

The driver of the Nissan, Christopher Lee Stewart Jr., 22, and the front seat passenger, Kathrin Renee Pitock, 22, died at the scene.

The rear passenger, Brittany Danielle Lewis, 25, died at Lakeland Regional Health Center.

"I know he needs to be in jail," said Lewis' mother, Takasha Ellison, after learning of Marrero's arrest. “I think he should have been arrested a long time ago."

Citing witness accounts, police said Marrero was thought to be racing with the driver of a light-colored Ford Mustang.


The crash occurred July 9, 2016. Three people died from their injuries.

Marrero was arrested without incident Monday at his residence and taken to the Polk County Jail.

Marrero's girlfriend, Melinda Martinez, said Marrero, who was in a coma for a month after the accident for a traumatic brain injury, does not remember the crash but is sorry for the deaths the crash caused.

"[Melinda] says that she knows he is sorry that three people died," said Janie Martinez, Melinda's mother, speaking for her because Melinda is deaf. "Michael doesn’t remember.”

"We asked him, and he says he doesn't remember what he did," Janie Martinez said. "We told him, 'Do you know where you are at?' and he said, 'No, I don’t know where I am at."

Judge Robert Williams set Marrero’s bond at $30,000. He ordered that Marrero not drink or visit bars and specified Marrero be subjected to house arrest. He will be allowed to go to his job but will have to wear a GPS monitor.