Victims’ families testify in Abrams case

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- Emotions erupted in the courtroom Thursday morning as

parents and family members of Sierra Soto and Brandon Wiener rendered

tearful testimonies in the penalty phase of Steven Allen Abrams’ murder

trial.

Four-year-old Sierra and 3-year-old Brandon were killed when Abrams

drove his huge, 1967 Cadillac into their preschool’s playground on May 3,

1999. Five others were injured in the rampage.

Sierra’s mother, Cindy Soto, laughed and cried as she recalled dancing

with her daughter and having mommy-daughter lunches at Mimi’s Cafe. She

also remembered the horrible day at the preschool when Costa Mesa Police

Chief David Snowden told her Sierra was dead.

“I just wasn’t even in my body at that point,” Soto said. “... I lost

not just my best friend, I lost my life.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora Lloyd, seeking the death penalty for Abrams,

presented family members as witnesses for the prosecution.

Public Defender Leonard Gumlia will argue against capital punishment

and seek a prison sentence for Abrams. He will present witnesses Monday.

On Aug. 24, jurors found Abrams guilty on two counts of murder and

five counts of attempted murder. On Monday, they found him to be legally

sane when he committed the murders. In the trial’s third phase, they must

decide if he should be put to death or spend the rest of his life in

prison.

In his opening statement, Gumlia said Abrams “didn’t want to hurt

people.”

“He has been psychotic before the crime, he was psychotic during the

crime and he is psychotic now,” he said. “He wanted to be a normal

person.”

Sniffles were heard around the courtroom as victims’ families told

their stories. A bailiff offered tissues to some jurors who struggled to

hold back their tears.

There was laughter, too.

Brandon’s mother, Pam Wiener, talked about her son’s obsession with

vacuum cleaners, and Cindy Soto recounted the story of Sierra’s Godzilla

party, featuring the reptile lady with her creepy-crawlies.

Abrams, however, showed no emotion. He sat motionless and kept his

head lowered during the testimonies.

Brandon’s uncle, Bucky Wiener, also testified, saying it was a rough

time for the whole family.

“Aaron was depressed,” he said about Brandon’s father. “He’d shut

himself in his room, lost his job. But I don’t blame him. He’s a strong

person. He has insight. But how strong can a person be?”

Brandon’s 14-year-old brother, Justin Weinstein, said he misses his

little brother.

“He had an excellent vocabulary at a very young age,” he said. “I’d

put on Barney videos for him, although I didn’t like Barney. It’s not the

same without him. ... we try our best to live it a day at a time.”

Sierra’s father, Eric Soto, said he has experienced “intense

depression” after her death.

“I’ve had no ambition, no motivation, no drive to do anything,” he

said. “Sometimes I look forward to taking my last breath of life.”

Eric Soto’s brother, Dave, who had driven from Chino to show his

support, said “Eric is the best father I’ve ever known.”

“I came to give him moral support,” he said. “It’s hard to talk about

something that’s beyond people’s imagination. That’s what they’ve gone

through.”

Mothers of children who witnessed Abrams’ rampage at the preschool

also attended the hearing to show their support for the victims’

families.

Judy McDill’s son, Chase, was one of the five people who were injured

in the incident. She can still see and feel the scars on his back, she

said.

“But I’m thankful that I still have him, that I can touch and feel

him,” McDill said. “But I also feel guilty when I see these parents

who’ll never be able to see their kids again.”

Christina Shokrollahi said her son, Daniel, was deeply affected by

what he saw.

“It makes us so angry,” she said. “They saw something we as adults

haven’t seen. It’s like a part of their innocence was taken away from

them.”