By Mary O’KEEFE

Pasadena Superior Court Judge Lisa Lench has dismissed two murder charges against big rig driver Marcos Costa, 44, of Massachusetts. Prosecutors, reportedly, were not pleased with the judge’s ruling.

Costa was the driver of the big rig that lost its brakes as he traveled over Angeles Crest Highway on April 1. Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s investigators have reported the big rig’s brakes had failed as Costa drove over Angeles Crest Highway from the Antelope Valley(14) freeway. The truck slammed into a vehicle north of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada driven by Angel Posca, 58, killing him and his 12-year-old daughter Angelina. It then continued barreling its way down the ’Crest, smashing several vehicles along the way, until it plowed into the Flintridge Bookstore on Foothill Boulevard.
Costa was initially charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, then in June a Los Angeles County grand jury returned an indictment of two counts of murder against Costa and added great bodily injury charges to the vehicular manslaughter charges. He was also facing charges of three counts of reckless driving, causing injury to three victims.

With the murder charges dismissed, Costa still faces the five other charges. He remains held on $600,000 bail. He is scheduled to be in Pasadena Superior Court on Oct. 20 for a bail reduction hearing.

  big rig, Costa