DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN (PIX11) -- The woman accused of mowing down a mother and her three children, killing two of them as well as the mom, will remain behind bars for now.
That was the decision from the arraignment of Miriam Yarimi, 32, at a hearing on Wednesday in Supreme Court.
Her attorney, Joseph Amsel, entered a plea of not guilty for Yarimi, who faces three counts of second-degree manslaughter.
She's accused of running a red light in her Audi on Ocean Parkway on March 29, ramming into an Uber, and then careening into Natasha Saada, 34, and her three children, who were walking back from services at their synagogue. Two of the children, Diana, 8, and Deborah, 5, were killed, along with their mother.
Yarimi's attorney argued that because the charges against her are non-violent offenses, and that she has no prior record, she should be granted bail.
Judge Danny Chun responded that because the charges could result in her receiving significant prison time if she's found guilty, she should remain in custody on Rikers Island, while he reviews the details of the bail request.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez attended the hearing, seated in the front row, behind his prosecutors.
"It's the worst driving crash I've seen," he said, in comments after the hearing. Gonzalez also confirmed that his office is looking at adding additional charges against Yarimi. He said that the third child in the case was "badly injured," and lost a kidney in the crash.
There did not appear to be any family members or supporters of Yarimi in the courtroom, and at various times she looked behind her as she stood at the defense table, apparently looking for people she knew.
One couple who later said that they're visiting Brooklyn from Israel said that they'd come to court in support of victim Natasha Saada and her children.
Yarimi's next court hearing is scheduled for June 11.
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