Elderly Calif. woman who fatally ran down family of 4, likely to avoid prison stint

An elderly San Francisco woman, Mary Fong Lau, who was involved in a tragic accident that resulted in the death of an Apple executive, Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, his wife, Matilde Ramos, and their two children, Joaquim and Cauê, is likely to avoid jail time. The incident occurred in March 2024 when Lau ran over the family while they were waiting for a bus in the city’s West Portal neighborhood.

Initially pleading not guilty, Lau entered a no contest plea to the charges on Friday. The elderly driver was charged with four counts of vehicular manslaughter, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years to life in prison in California. However, due to her age, remorse, and lack of prior criminal record, she is expected to receive only two to three years of probation.

Judge Bruce Chan acknowledged the tragedy of the situation but expressed concern that sentencing Lau to prison would essentially be condemning her to die within the state prison system. Lau’s husband had also died in a car crash years ago, a factor that contributed to the court’s leniency. The judge noted that Lau had shown remorse by crying at the hospital upon learning of the family’s death and expressing a desire to trade places with them.

While relatives of the victims were outraged by the possibility of Lau escaping jail time, they requested that she be sentenced to home detention, community service, and have her license revoked. The victim’s family attorney criticized Lau’s no contest plea, stating that it avoided the moral accountability required in such a case.

Following the tragic incident, the slain couple’s parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lau. Additionally, they have initiated a civil lawsuit to nullify any financial transfers made by Lau after the wrongful death suit was filed. Allegations have surfaced that Lau transferred properties and formed new limited liability companies that could potentially involve millions of dollars.

Despite the controversial nature of the case and the differing opinions regarding Lau’s sentencing, her attorney expressed relief at the possibility of a lesser sentence and indicated that Lau had sought psychiatric help to cope with her grief. The final sentencing for Mary Fong Lau is scheduled for a later date.