TUCSON, Ariz. (Scripps News Tucson) — The 19-year-old man charged with three manslaughter counts in the hit-and-run deaths of three University of Arizona students had his first appearance in Superior Court Monday. Louis John Artal was formally informed of the charges against him.
Artal stood with his attorney and calmly answered questions from the Judge. Judge Clayton Kamm entered a not guilty plea for Artal. That’s routine at this early stage of a case.
Louis John Artal appeared in court with his attorney on Nov. 17, 2025. (Scripps News Tucson)
Artal has been free on a quarter-million-dollar cash bond since late last week.
He had been jailed since the end of October when he turned himself in after the crash that killed UA students Sophia Troetel, Josiah Santos, and Katya Castillo-Mendoza.
Their relatives were in court for Artal’s appearance. Some cried as the hearing went on.
A Maricopa County Prosecutor is handling the case. The Pima County Attorney’s Office has a conflict because Troetel had been a Victim Services volunteer for the office.
Detectives executed a search warrant on Louis John Artal’s car.
Artal is due back in court for a status conference on December 18th.
This story was originally written by Craig Smith for Scripps News Tucson, an E.W. Scripps Company.
