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Teen In Deadly New Year's Crash Charged As Adult

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KEY BISCAYNE (CBSMiami) -- A teen involved in a deadly New Year's Day crash on Key Biscayne is being charged as an adult.

Seventeen year old Isaias Medina was arrested as a juvenile and charged with vehicular homicide for the death of 18-year old Daniela Benavides San Miguel who was killed in the crash.

Related: Charges In Question For Driver In Deadly New Year's Crash

On Wednesday, the court decided he will face charges as an adult. The judge set his bond at $100,000. Once he is released on house arrest,  he will be under GPS monitoring and be subject to random drug testing. Medina also surrendered both his expired Venezuelan and current U.S. passports. He will also not be allowed to drive.

Medina had previously been released on home detention but was taken back into custody Wednesday.

Medina's Defense attorney David Kubilian spoke out for the first time since Medina's arrest.

Medina had originally been released after his arrest and did not have a GPS monitor. He was taken into custody again after he was charged as an adult.

Prosecutor Laura Adams had strong words.

"The state is very concerned at the fact that a 17-year old chose to drive his Porsche probably about 60 miles an hour through a residential setting. He killed one of his friends. He was high on marijuana. He had Xanax in his system and he's never had a driver's license," said Prosecutor Laura Adams.

"The fact that he had never acquired a drivers license is very concerning and there is the danger that this defendant poses to the community as well as the potential to leave the jurisdiction," she said.

Kubilian said Medina is sorry.

"You can contact the victims' families," said Kubilian. "He has shown tremendous amounts of remorse. It's been a very, very difficult time for the victim's family and I think its also been a very difficult time for my client's family as well,"said Kubilian.

When asked about the accusations that his client was high and speeding, he said "You're innocent until proven guilty in this country. Obviously this is a very tragic situation. He will have his day in court. It's a no-win situation for everyone involved here."

Adams said Medina was a flight risk. Judge Mindy Glazer set bond for all three charges of vehicular homicide, driving without a license and reckless driving. She went on to say she thought that bond could have been higher.

"The bond the state is asking is extremely reasonable based on the circumstances here," she said. "If anything I would have set a higher bond."

Outside the courtroom, Medina's mother left without commenting.

Police said Medina crashed his silver Porsche on Harbor Drive on the morning of January 1st. Investigators said speed and drugs played a factor in the deadly crash.

Key Biscayne New Year's Day Crash
Police are investigating a crash that killed a teen and sent two others to the hospital on New Year's Day. (Source: CBS4)

Police are investigating a crash that killed a teen and sent two others to the hospital on New Year's Day. (Source: CBS4)

Related: Mangled Porsche A Reminder Of New Year's Tragedy On Key Biscayne

The police report went on to say that Matthew Saldana, the front seat passenger, told detectives that he and Medina had attended several New Year's Eve parties, going from home to home on golf carts. Eventually, Medina took out the Porsche for a drive.  Police said he was going twice the speed limit when he crashed.

The police report said Saldana denied that he and Medina had been using drugs but he reportedly admitted that they had been drinklng. The report said Saldana said Medina wanted to show off the family Porsche.

Medina and Saldana both suffered head injuries in the crash.

CBS4's Peter D'Oench learned Medina's mother is about to be evicted from her Key Biscayne condominium. Medina's father is a diplomat at the United Nations.

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