Yanez Takes Plea Deal in Fatal Wreck Case

The teen set to stand trial as an adult in the death of a Paducah Sun delivery driver in June, pleaded guilty Monday to lesser charges.
 
18-year-old Edgar Yanez was facing murder, assault, wanton endangerment, driving under the influence and criminal mischief charges related to the June 20 crash at the intersection of Blandville and Mayfield-Metropolis roads that killed 34-year-old Ezra Moffett. According to police, Yanez was driving the vehicle. A Passenger in Yanez' vehicle, 18-year-old Manning Shaw, was also injured in the crash.
 
As part of a guilty plea entered Monday in McCracken Circuit Court, Yanez accepted responsibility for his involvement in the wreck. The plea lowers the murder charge to second-degree manslaughter. Both the DUI and the assault charges related to the injuries to Shaw were also dropped as part of the plea agreement.
 
The commonwealth offered 10 years on the manslaughter and five years each on the wanton endangerment and criminal mischief charges, running concurrently for a total of 10 years. If Circuit Judge Tim Kaltenbach allows the plea at a September 3 sentencing hearing, Yanez will have to serve at least 2 years before he is eligible for parole.

Yanez could have received a maximum sentence of life in prison on the original charges.