Sad, yes; bail, no

In different circumstances, Sylvia Lugo's story might have been pretty compelling: the "intellectually challenged" 38-year-old single mother of five children ages 17 to five months -- three with disabilities --living with her mother in Hunting Park and subsisting on disability income.

Even facing trial on charges of homicide by motor vehicle while driving drunk, defense attorney Fred R. Goodman argued, Lugo had no prior criminal record and was hardly likely to flee. And locked in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail, Lugo was in danger of losing her disability benefits. A sister said she would guarantee Lugo showed up at court dates.

Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Patrick F. Dugan was sympathetic but to Goodman's visible surprise, said "no reduction of bail of any kind."

Dugan explained that he was more impressed by the fact that Lugo, who was arrested May 24 in the death of Lilliana Acevedo, 29, had evaded police for a year after the hit-and-run accident.

"You never stepped forward after the accident," Dugan said. "Somebody was just left dead outside on the road."

Assistant District Attorney Carlos Vega argued against reducing bail, telling the judge that some of Lugo's relatives had lied to investigators, telling them Lugo was in Puerto Rico or Boston.

"She never left the area," Vega said.

Vega also said that Lugo's white 2002 Hyundai Elantra was missing and believed destroyed to keep it from becoming evidence.

Vega's key witness at Wednesday's preliminary hearing was Vanessa Rodriguez, 17, who nervously testified that she was Lugo's passenger when the accident that killed Acevedo occurred at about 10:45 p.m. on Erie Avenue between Second and Third Streets.

Rodriguez said Lugo had had about seven beers over two hours at a friend's house and was driving her home. After the accident, Rodriguez said Lugo looked back and said "she's moving" and drove off.

Acevedo died at the scene.

Rodriguez, a friend of Lugo's daughter, said Lugo told her not to say anything because she "loved her children and didn't want to go to jail." She said Lugo told her ex-boyfriend to make the white Hyundai disappear.

Ultimately, Rodriguez testified, she could not live with herself and went to police.