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Jason Mendez, 35, of Washingtonville in Orange County, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, Feb. 26, charging him with one count of murder in the second degree and seven counts of attempted murder in the second degree, said Rockland County Acting District Attorney Kevin Gilleece.
On Friday, his attorney, Bruce Klein, entered the not-guilty plea during the arraignment before County Court Judge Kevin Russo.
During the proceeding, Klein also requested that Mendez undergo a psychiatric exam, saying that he had concerns the accused killer understood the charges against him.
The judge approved the exam for later in March.
Mendez was returned to the Rockland County Jail where he is being held on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 5 for a bail hearing.
The incident took place around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, when Mendez intentionally drove his vehicle, a 2013 Infinity with Texas license plates, across the parking lot of a 7-11 convenience store on Central Highway in Garnerville and crashed the vehicle into a family of eight people, who had been standing on the sidewalk in front of the store, said the DA's office.
The family included children ranging in age from 11 months to 10 years. The mother, Melissa Castillo DeLoatch, 32, died as a result of the injuries she sustained when hit by the Mendez’ vehicle, the DA's office said.
The father and six children were treated for injuries and have since recovered.
Minutes before the incident, Mendez and the father of the family had the verbal altercation over smoking. Mendez then proceeded to enter his vehicle, which was parked in the 7-Eleven parking lot, and drive it into the eight family members, police and witnessed said.
He then reversed the vehicle and drove forward again, striking the family members for a second time, killing the 32-year-old mother, Haverstraw Police said.
Mendez was stopped in the parking lot by officers from the Haverstraw Police Department. When he exited his car, he allegedly pointed a box cutter at the officer and refused to drop the weapon. Mendez was the ultimately tasered and placed under arrest.
After an investigation by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, he was arrested and charged.
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