Victim’s family raise bail questions after Zaon Collins case

Some hard feelings are now mixed in with the grief after a high-profile DUI crash that killed a Clark County School District employee and left a star basketball recruit's future in doubt.

AFTER A HIGH-PROFILE "D-U-I"CRASH THAT KILLED A SCHOOLDISTRICT EMPLOYEE...AND LEFT A STAR "BASKETBALL"RECRUIT'S FUTURE IN DOUBT.THE CASE HASN'T GONE TO TRIAL-- BUT THE VICTIM'S FAMILYSAYS...THEY ARE ALREADY BEING DENIEDJUSTICE.13 CHIEF INVESTIGATOR...DARCY SPEARS CONTINUES....TO REPORT ON....WHAT MANY CONSIDER....A PROBLEM WITH LENIENT BAILHEARINGS....AND SHOWS....ONCE AGAIN....IT'S AN ISSUE....WHERE NOBODY WINS./MUSIC NATS/ 7:07 ANN MARIE:I THINK I'M STILL IN SHOCKBECAUSE I STILL CAN'T GET PASTDEC.30.IT'S LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANEW YEAR.THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING.THE LAST TIME ANN MARIEECHEVARRIA HEARD FROM HERHUSBAND ERIC, HE WAS HEADINGOUT TO PICK UP SOMETHING TO EATFOR THEIR 14-YEAR-OLD SON WHOSHARES HIS FATHER'S NAME.5:56 ANN MARIE: AND I CALLEDHIM AND HE'S NOT ANSWERING, SOI CALLED MY SON, AND I WASLIKE, ERIC, WHERE'S DADDY?

ANDHE SAID HE'S NOT HOME YET.AND I ALREADY KNEW THAT HEPASSED AWAY.I KNEW IT BEFORE I GOT TO THESCENE.

I KNEW IT WAS HIM.52-YEAR-OLD ERIC ECHEVARRIA HADWORKED FOR NEARLY TWO DECADESAS A CLARK COUNTY SCHOOLDISTRICT CUSTODIAN WHOSOMETIMES HELPED WITH AUTISTICSTUDENTS.HE WAS A VETERAN, AN ORGANDONOR...9:49 ANN MARIE: THEY DID GETHIS HEART.AND BELOVED FATHER, GRANDFATHERAND HUSBAND.8:11 ANN MARIE: I'M THINKING,WHEN IS HE COMING HOME?

I LOOKOUT THE WINDOW ALL THE TIME,ALL THE TIME LOOKING FOR...COMING BACK.THEIR SON, AN 8TH GRADER, ISHAVINGTHE HARDEST TIME OF ALL.1:41 ANN MARIE: HE KEEPS WAKINGME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THENIGHT, WHICH IS HEARTBREAKING,TO TELL ME, MOM, WHAT HAPPENSTO ME IF YOU DIE?

THETEENAGER CHARGED WITH KILLINGECHEVARRIA IS 19-YEAR-OLD ZAONCOLLINS.THE FORMER BISHOP GORMAN HIGHSCHOOL STUDENT WAS, AT THETIME, A PRIZED UNLV BASKETBALLRECRUIT.IN COLLINS' ARREST REPORT,POLICE SAY HE WAS DRIVINGAPPROXIMATELY 88 MILES PER HOURIN A 35-MILE-AN-HOURRESIDENTIAL AREA.7:56 EVELYNSULRZYCKI/SISTER-IN- LAW: WHENHE HIT HIM SO HARD, HEAIRBORNED HIS CAR TO THE POINTWHERE THE ROOF OF HIS CAR HITTHE WALL.THE ARREST REPORT SAYS POLICEFOUND A "JAR CONTAINING AGREEN LEAFY SUBSTANCE" INCOLLINS' CAR.AND THAT COLLINS APPEARED TO BEHIGH.THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYSCOLLINS TESTED POSITIVE FOR 3.0NANOGRAMS PER MILLILITER OFTHC--OR MARIJUANA--IN HISBLOOD.ANYTHING ABOVE 2.0 ISCONSIDERED IMPAIRED UNDERNEVADA LAW.4:04 ANN MARIE: HE GOT BEHINDTHE WHEEL HIGH.VERY HIGH.AND HE CHOSE TO GO DOWN THISSTREET.4:17 HE SWERVED OUT OF THEROAD AND HIT MY HUSBAND.COLLINS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITHTWO FELONIES: DUI AND RECKLESSDRIVING, BOTH RESULTING INDEATH.STILL...4:19 ANN MARIE: HE WAS HOME INLESS THAN 24 HOURS.COLLINS WAS RELEASED FROM JAILTHE DAY AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED.ALLOWED TO GO HOME WITH HISPARENTS AS HIS CASE MOVESTHROUGH COURT.4:25 ANN MARIE: SO, IT'S NOTFAIR.IT'S JUST NOT FAIR.COLLINS RECEIVED WHAT'S CALLEDAN O- R...OWN RECOGNIZANCE RELEASE...POSTING NO BAIL, BUT BEING PUTUNDER SEVERAL RESTRICTIONS.:28 DARCY: WHAT STANDS OUTABOUT THIS CASE FOR YOU?LILIA: THE FACT THAT SOMEONEDIED.BAIL AGENT LILIA CEBALLOS.13:18 LILIA: I WAS EXPECTING AHALF- MILLION-DOLLAR BAIL, TOBE HONEST.AND MONITORING!

AND WHEN WESAW HE GOT OR'D WE WERE LIKE...WHAT?!

HOW?!

BAIL HAS BEENTHE SUBJECT OF MUCH OUTCRYACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HERE INNEVADA./NAT POP FROM INTV./ DAVIDCHESNOFF IS ZAON COLLINS'LAWYER.8:27 DAVID CHESNOFF/ATTORNEY:THERE'S BEEN INCREDIBLE RACIALAND ECONOMIC DISPARITY IN THEAPPLICATION OF BAIL.SOME CRIMES ALLOW FORADMINISTRATIVE RELEASE THROUGHTHE PRE-TRIAL SERVICES PROGRAM.BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE FORFELONY DUI.:40 LILIA CEBALLOS/BAIL BONDAGENT: YOU DON'T EXPECT WHENSOMEONE DIES FOR SOMEBODY TO BEABLE TO JUST GET RELEASED.DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEVE WOLFSONSAID HIS OFFICE ASKED THE COURTTO IMPOSE A $150,000 BAIL ONZAON COLLINS.IN A MARCH 2020 INTERVIEW,WOLFSON TOOK A HARD LINE ONDRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE...2:07 STEVE WOLFSON/MARCH 2020INTV.: ...IT'S JUST THAT.IT'S A CHOICE.AND THEY SHOULD SUFFER THECONSEQUENCES.BECAUSE FELONY DUI DEFENDANTSARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASETHROUGH PRE-TRIAL SERVICES,THEY MUST APPEAR IN COURT.JUDGE JOE BONAVENTURE MADE THEDECISION TO LET COLLINS OUTWITHOUT POSTING MONETARY BAIL.8:32 EVELYN: WE DEPEND ON HIMASCITIZENS AND IF HE DOESN'T TAKEEVERYTHING INTOACCOUNT--ESPECIALLY THE FAMILYTHAT LOST THEIR LOVED ONE--TOME AT THIS POINT THERE'S NOJUSTICE.ATTORNEY CHESNOFF SAYS THECONDITIONS OF HIS CLIENT'SRELEASE ARE ALMOST AS STRICT ASBEING BEHIND BARS.HE'S ON HIGH LEVEL ELECTRONICMONITORING, HAS TO WEAR ADRUG-TESTING PATCH, AND ISN'TALLOWED TO DRIVE.1:38 DAVID CHESNOFF/ATTORNEY:BASICALLY, THE ONLY DIFFERENCEBETWEEN BEING IN JAIL AND BEINGWHERE HE IS--AND IT'S A GOODONE--IS THAT HE'S ATHOME AND HE'S ABLE TO WORK WITHME.A .3:07 DARCY: HE WAS AT BISHOPGORMAN--A FANCY, EXPENSIVE,PRIVATE SCHOOL.HE DROVE A $30,000 CAR.AND NOW HE HAS A VERYHIGH-PROFILE EXPENSIVEATTORNEY.HOW DO WE RECONCILE THAT?CHESNOFF: FIRST, HIS PARENTSLOVE HIM AND WANT HIM TO GO TOTHE BEST SCHOOL AND HE LED THESCHOOL, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND,TO THREE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS,SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THATARE GLAD HE WENT THERE.SECONDLY, THE CAR WAS HISDAD'S.AND THIRD, HIS VERY EXPENSIVELAWYER IS DOING THIS, AT THISTIME, PRO BONO.WHICH MEANS CHESNOFF IS NOTCHARGING A FEE.4:01 CHESNOFF: I UNDERSTAND HOWTHE FAMILY OF THE FELLOW WHODIED FEELS, BUT I ALSO FEEL FORA 19-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAS ANINCREDIBLE FUTURE THAT NOW ISIN JEOPARDY.12:16 ANN MARIE: HE NEEDS TOPAY!

AND FOR HIM TO BE OUT AND11:28 ANN MARIE: IT'S VERY,VERY UPSETTING THAT HE GOT TOGO HOME, AND MY HUSBAND DIDN'TGET TO GO HOME.THIS WAS NOT HIS FIRST TIME.NOT HIS FIRST TIME SPEEDING.OR HIS SECOND.IN FACT, COLLINS HAS FOUR PRIORTRAFFIC CASES IN THE LAST THREEYEARS.TWO FOR GOING AT LEAST 20 MILESPER HOUR OVER THE SPEED LIMIT.ONE FOR FAILING TO PAYATTENTION WHILE DRIVING.AND ONE FOR DRIVING THE WRONGWAY ON A ONE-WAY ROAD.4:20 LILIA/BAIL AGENT: ITCONCERNSME THAT A JUDGE COULD BE SWAYEDTO RELEASE SOMEONE WITH THATKIND OF A HISTORY WHOSE ACTIONSKILLED SOMEBODY!5:26 CHESNOFF: I KNOW A LOT OFTEENAGE BOYS WHO'VE HAD BADDRIVING RECORDS, SO, I'M NOTDIMINISHING IT, IT'S A FACT TOBE DECIDED IN WHATEVER OCCURSHERE.BUT I ALSO THINK THAT BUT FORTHE ACCIDENT, A LOT OF TEENAGEBOYS HAVE HAD THOSE KIND OFISSUES.COURT RECORDS SHOW COLLINS HASPAID MORE THAN $2,000 IN FINESFOR HIS PREVIOUS VIOLATIONS.HE ALSO HAD TO ATTEND ACORONER'S VISITATION PROGRAM IN2019.7:31 DARCY: AND THE VICTIM'SFAMILY LOOKS AT THIS AND THEYSAY, CLEARLY, THAT DIDN'TMATTER.HE DIDN'T LEARN FROM THAT.HE KEPT DOING IT UNTIL HEKILLED SOMEONE.7:46 CHESNOFF: AT A POINT INTIME, EVERYTHING WILL BE SAIDTHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID.AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT, BUTEVERYBODY SHOULD BE PATIENT ANDLET THE LEGAL PROCESS PROCEED.THE ECHEVARRIA FAMILY SAYS SOFAR THAT LEGAL PROCESS ISFAILINGTHEM.13:50 ANN MARIE: I'M HOPINGWHEN HE GOES BACK ON FEB.17, WHICH I WILL BE IN THECOURTROOM, I HOPE THAT THEYLOCK HIM UP!

HE NEEDS TOBE--HE CAN'T BE HOME LAYING ONHIS COUCH WATCHING BASKETBALLVIDEOS WHEN WE'RE OVER THERENOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITHOURSELVES!

I LOST EVERYTHING!EVERYTHING!

DARCY TAG: ZAONCOLLINS IS LOOKINGAT MANDATORY PRISON TIME IFHE'S CONVICTED.HE'S DUE IN COURT FOR APRELIMINARY HEARING ON FEBRUARY17.DARCY SPEARS, 13 INVESTIGATES.COMING UP....ON 13 ACTION NEWS...OPENING A BUSINESS.....