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Survivor of Gilchrist County crash that killed four waives right to first court appearance

Blake Delapaz was arrested Friday in Jacksonville, and faces multiple charges including DUI manslaughter.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The lone survivor of a deadly crash that killed four young adults in Gilchrist County last year waived his right to a first appearance, Saturday.

The driver, Blake Delapaz, was arrested Friday in Jacksonville, and faces several charges including DUI and manslaughter. The families of the victims, who were all from Jacksonville, were in the courtroom Saturday. 

Several of the victims' parents said Delapaz is a "coward" for not facing the families Saturday.

“Not wanting to stand in front of the families, I mean, I understand what you’re doing there, but not wanting to face us after 18 long months ... you know that’s OK, the justice system, FHP has done a great job and all of the answers will come out and justice will be for our angels," one of the parents said.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Delapaz ran a stop sign on County Road 340 and hit another vehicle in June of 2018. FHP said Delapaz, who was 20 at the time, was speeding and under the influence of alcohol. 

The crash killed the four passengers -- Hayden Raulerson, Isabella Garcia, Alysia Littlejohn and Cameron Bell. The families of the victims said Saturday the past year and a half has been a long wait, and Saturday made that wait even longer. 

“We are all just really anxious to get this show on the road, to get justice for our babies," Elinor Littlejohn, Alysia Littlejohn's mother, said. "It has been a long 18 months. Today was a little disappointing."

"We were expecting to see Blake at the first appearance. It has been quite sometime, however, that didn’t happen, as he has the right to not appear," Elinor Littlejohn said.

"It's hell," she said. "Every day is hell. We have a part of us that is gone forever. It’s coming up on the holidays and I think we’re all just trying to get through it one day at a time like we have been since June 9, 2018," she said.

Delapaz is being held under a $950,000 bond. His next court date is Dec. 26.

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