A week after two 14-year-olds allegedly stole a car and slammed into a family of eight’s van, killing two young boys, Ogden residents are wondering: How did this happen?

The wreck last Friday, March 27, unfolded around sunset as the teens tried to evade police. Officers had tried to pull the stolen vehicle over on the 2800 block of Quincy Avenue when the driver struck a police vehicle and sped away, according to Ogden police.

Officers pursued the teens, according to the Weber County attorney’s office, and just more than a mile away, the fleeing driver plowed into the family’s vehicle, carrying two adults and six children, at the intersection of 31st Street and Grant Avenue.

An 11-year-old boy, Izarel Vasquez, was ejected from the car and died at the scene, according to police and relatives who spoke with FOX13. His 7-year-old brother, Jaimito Vasquez, died Monday from injuries suffered in the crash.

Authorities had said any criminal charges would likely wait until the 14-year-olds were released from the hospital. On Thursday, the Weber County attorney’s office announced it had filed charges in juvenile court against the teen who was driving the vehicle.

He now faces two counts of first-degree felony murder, two counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault, plus second- and third-degree felony charges tied to theft and evading police. He also faces misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and property damage, according to a news release.

Because these charges are filed in juvenile court, the teen faces a maximum penalty of being held in a juvenile secure care facility until he is 21 if the allegations are found to be true.

But Weber County prosecutors indicated they will ask a juvenile court judge to move the charges to the adult system — where the teen could face much harsher penalties, like a lengthy prison sentence.

In Utah, prosecutors can ask a judge to move serious crimes, like murder, to adult court if the young person is at least 14. Prosecutors present evidence during a certification hearing, and a juvenile court judge will weigh evidence, the severity of the allegations and the child’s history before deciding whether the case should stay in the juvenile system.

A motion has been filed in Ogden’s 2nd District Juvenile Court to seal records in this case, Utah State Courts spokesperson Tania Mashburn said Thursday.

She said no court records, including any past case histories, will be released ahead of a judge ruling on the request.

When should police pursue?

Under the Ogden Police Department’s vehicle pursuit policy, officers are required to weigh public safety against the need to apprehend a suspect before initiating or continuing a vehicle pursuit.

The policy states that “the objective of a police pursuit is to apprehend the violator without unnecessarily endangering” officers or the public.

Officers are directed to apply a “balance test” when deciding whether to give chase, considering factors such as the severity of the suspected crime, whether the person’s driving poses a threat to the public and whether the risks created by a pursuit outweigh the need to immediately apprehend the suspect.

Ogden Police Capt. Tim Scott said officers are trained to make “real-time” decisions based on the circumstances and department policy, which requires them to continually weigh whether the risks of a pursuit outweigh the risks of allowing a suspect to remain at large.

All vehicle pursuits, Scott said, are reviewed as part of the department’s “standard investigative process,” including the decisions made throughout the pursuit, to determine whether officers followed policy.

Officers should not engage in pursuits solely for traffic law violators or suspects of misdemeanor offenses, according to the policy. In Utah, vehicle theft is classified as a second-degree felony.

Those standards largely mirror statewide rules under Utah code, which also require officers to apply a similar “balance test” when determining whether to engage in a pursuit.

Community rallies

Dozens of family members, friends and community members gathered for a vigil to honor Izarel on Saturday, a day after the crash and before his brother, Jaimito, later died from his injuries, according to KUTV.

Since the wreck, the intersection of 31st Street and Grant Avenue has become a growing memorial, with neighbors and passersby leaving flowers, balloons, candles, notes and other tributes to the two boys killed.

“Our family is going through an unimaginable tragedy,” relatives wrote in a GoFundMe campaign launched Saturday. “The unthinkable happened that changed our family forever.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised more than $40,000.

Family members said the money is intended to help cover medical expenses for those in the vehicle who were injured, as well as funeral costs for the boys who died.

“We are heartbroken and trying to process this sudden loss and facing unimaginable pain, grief and shock,” they wrote. “No words can truly capture the heartbreak of losing someone so young, so loved, and full of life.”

Relatives said several family members remain hospitalized with serious injuries, with some undergoing surgeries and facing a “long painful road ahead.”

Other friends and community members have also launched fundraisers to help the family with expenses, including Knockout Kuts Barbershop in Roy, which posted on Facebook that the boys used to visit with their mother for haircuts.

“I have watched these boys grow up in my chair and it has been an honor,” wrote owner Kayla Kutz Dominguez. “They were always so respectful and sweet and silly. Spending Sunday mornings together watching cartoons and getting ready for Monday was something I won’t ever forget. They had a bond like I never seen before, it was truly special.”

Dominguez is hosting a fundraiser in Ogden on Saturday, according to the post, offering haircuts and tamales that have already sold out for preorders.

Other community members are contributing aquas frescas, plates of ribs, jalapeño poppers and potatoes, along with a raffle featuring baskets put together by local businesses, she said.