'He took everything.' Greenwich man sentenced to 15 years in double fatal hit-and-run
Police say Michael Talbot was driving his black Mercedes while drunk and high.
More Stories
Emotional words were delivered in Stamford Superior Court from the families who lost loved ones in a double fatal hit-and-run.
Greenwich resident Michael Talbot, the man responsible, apologized to them and now faces lengthy jail time.
"Not only did Michael Talbot take my brother but he took everything that could have been. Michael Talbot took Giovani's life and he ruined ours," said Giovani Vega Benis' sister Asiana Benis.
She was in tears Wednesday as she addressed the court.
Talbot, 25, sat stoically as he listened
Talbot pleaded guilty last year to killing Benis and Yuliana Arias Lozano in December of 2022.
Police say he was driving his black Mercedes with no lights on at 86 mph on Washington Boulevard in Stamford while drunk and high.
The impact of the crash threw the two victims from the intersection. Talbot then tried to flee the scene.
MORE: Stamford police detail Michael Talbot arrest in double fatal hit-and-run
MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Family members demand justice after fatal Stamford hit-and-run
"These last two years after the death of my daughter has been an experience that I wish on no one," said Josefina Lozano, Lozano's mother, through defense attorney and interpreter Alex Martinez.
"I really hope that we get justice for Giovanni Vega and Yuliana because they did not deserve to die the way that they did," said the mother of Benis' twin boys Maria Garrido.
"There were so many points throughout the night where different decisions could have been made that would result in none of us being here in this courtroom today," said Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Moran.
The judge gave Talbot a 15-year prison sentence. He had faced between 10 and 15 years.
"I will forever be sorry for the beautiful lives I have taken from this earth and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to truly forgive myself," said Talbot as he addressed the court.
The families were hoping for a longer prison sentence.
"It wasn't just one death, it was two," said Benis' cousin Ruth Sanchez.
Talbot will serve five years of probation after his prison sentence.
The prosecution also says Talbot's Connecticut driver's license will be permanently revoked.
