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The injured student was not expected to survive, a family member said.

Louis John Artal, 19, appeared in court Friday night for an initial appearance on the two counts of second-degree murder, a charge of aggravated assault with serious injury, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

Tucson police said Artal was impaired by alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the crash, was speeding in a 2019 Porsche Boxster and fled after striking the three students who were walking in a marked crosswalk. The crash occurred about 11 p.m. Thursday on North Euclid Avenue at East Second Street, near East University Boulevard.

Sophia Akimi Troetel and Josiah Patrick Santos were killed.

Katya Castillo-Mendoza was critically injured. Her older sister spoke from a hospital during Artal’s initial court appearance and said the family was saying its good-byes to her.

“I’m calling right now from the ICU where we’ve been since 6 a.m. praying for a miracle,� the sister, Alison Salina, told the court. “We decided tonight at 9 p.m. we have to take Kati off of life support. Saying those words feels impossible.�

Castillo-Mendoza was studying finance and real estate development at the UA.

Troetel was pursuing a double major in psychology and Spanish, and Santos was studying Japanese language and theater arts, the university said.

Troetel was 21 and Santos 22, a family member said.

Troetel was the general manager of KAMP Student Radio at the university, and Santos, her boyfriend, was a frequent performer with Arts Express Theatre. Both were beloved by many friends at the university who are grieving along with the victims’ families.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and all grieving those who lost their lives and our support to the injured student and their loved ones,� said the university statement shared by UA spokesperson Mitch Zak. “The university is providing direct support and resources to students, faculty, and staff affected by this tragic event.“

‘Disregard for law and human life’

Friends and family members of the three victims spoke at Artal’s initial appearance late Friday in Pima County Justice Court. Artal, described as a UA student, sat without expression as they beseeched the judge to keep him behind bars and off the streets.

“Kati was the light of our life, full of kindness and joy and losing her has torn our family apart,� said Salina, Castillo-Mendoza’s sister. “We are completely broken. I hope he knows he didn’t just take her life, he took a piece of all of our lives. We are begging, your honor, for the highest bond possible. Please let there be justice.�

Eric Strong, an attorney and friend of the families, told the judge there is “evidence of illegal substance� in Artal’s bloodstream, and that he is a danger to the community.

“He has complete disregard for law and human life and demands the highest bail allowed,� Sophia Troetel’s mother said.

Family members told the judge they worried that Artal, originally from San Francisco, would flee to his home state to avoid prosecution and the consequences of his actions.

“I cannot believe that you drove away and left them there,� said Andrea Hope Santos, Josiah Santos’ mother, speaking to Artal in court. “May God have mercy on you.�

Artal’s attorney said his father convinced him to turn himself into police less than an hour after the crash.

Artal’s family owns a large business in California and has spent “significant resources� to hire a private attorney, the attorney told the judge. He said this was proof Artal will stick around.

“I’m not trying to in any way take away from the seriousness of the offense, but my client got scared and didn’t know what to do,� the attorney said. He said Artal drove home after the crash and called his father, who advised him to walk to the nearest police station and turn himself in.

The attorney said Artal has no misdemeanor or criminal record and that his mother will likely come live with him in Arizona until his case is settled. His father already flew into Arizona Friday morning, he said.

In fighting for a bail amount less than the state’s requested $300,000, Artal’s attorney said $300,000 would be akin to $3 million.

“This is not just a person who does this and is on the lam and we’re trying to find him,� the attorney said. “If he’s not driving, he’s not going to have the risk to reoffend, and the court and community can feel safe with him under the direction of pretrial services.�

Bail was set at $250,000. Artal was being held in the Pima County jail late Friday.

‘Sorrow of young lives cut short’

As general manager of KAMP Student Radio, Troetel often shared music and movie reviews.

“We are devastated to share that our beloved general manager and friend Sophia Troetel has tragically passed in a hit-and-run last night along with her boyfriend Josiah,� said KAMP Student Radio in a social media post Friday evening. “KAMP is a close family built on a mutual love of music and Sophia was a bright light in the heart of the family. We are committed to honor Sophia and Josiah as we move forward.�

Troetel was also a volunteer for the Pima County Attorney’s Office’s victim services division, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said.

“She had been volunteering with our Victim Services Division for over two years and was getting ready to begin her internship at PCAO. Our Victim Services team has been profoundly affected by this heartbreaking loss, as she was a devoted and invaluable member of our crisis program,� Conover wrote on Instagram. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and VSD as they navigate this difficult time. Our team has also been in touch with Sophia’s family.�

“The criminal case will be handled outside of our office,� by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Conover said. “They are professionals, but there’s a time where it comes too close to home,� Conover said, adding that prosecutors here are grateful Maricopa County will handle the case.

Conover said her office is “seriously grieving.�

“I allowed myself a few moments to appreciate the sorrow of young lives on exciting trajectories cut short, and then I was able to pivot and make sure I could do the very best I could do to support the supervisors who run that division, and then the people themselves,� she said. “They work so hard, in such difficult jobs, that a loss like this is profound.�

Troetel was in the process of training up-and-coming volunteers in the Victim Services division, Conover said.

“This is the tough stuff. When young, good people go too soon . . . this is the really difficult part of life,� Conover said.

Talented theater student and musician

Santos had been involved in Arts Express, which performs shows at Park Place mall, since he was a sophomore at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson.

He also was the music director for Meow or Never, the UA a capella group.

“He was one of the sweetest kids you’ve ever met,� said Jonathan Crider, a former Arts Express director who worked with Santos in three shows. “He was super dedicated to his craft. He was everyone’s friend. He never had any drama or any beef with a single person.�

Santos mostly played ensemble roles, which meant he played a number of characters in each show.

“He was one of the most talented people,� said Crider, who now works for Fox Tucson Theatre. “He even became a leader for the people who were new to the cast or to acting or to Arts Express. He was constantly taking people under his wing and helping them out.�

Crider said he last worked with Santos on “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas� in February 2024. Other previous Arts Express productions Santos performed in included “Fiddler on the Roof,� “Anastasia� and Catch Me If You Can.�

More than two dozen of Santos’ UA School of Theatre, Film & Television classmates, teachers and staff members gathered in the Tornabene Theatre lobby on campus Friday afternoon. They shared photos and memories and video clips of Santos, who was called the “consummate theater artist� by one of his instructors.

“He was a playwright, he was an actor,� UA theater instructor Roweena Mackay said, then apologized for sobbing during a phone interview. “He was just a very bright star. He was just loved by everybody.�

Mackay was Santos’ theater instructor since he came to the UA four years ago; he was set to graduate in May, she said.

Mackay said Santos’ classmates shared stories and memories at the Tornabene, recalling Santos’ sense of humor and showing a skit he did last spring with the Charles Darwin Experience, an improv troupe at the UA.

In the skit, Santos dressed in all black, had a Kermit the Frog puppet and imitated Kermit’s voice.

“The whole place was just screaming with laughter,� Mackay recalled of the performance. “He was just really funny, silly. He always made me laugh; he was that guy.�

The Charles Darwin Experience posted a tribute to Santos, written by his friend Rayce Morland, on Instagram, saying they lost a “friend, a bright soul and a member of our family.�

“He brought so much life and happiness into every room and every soul he was around,� the post read. “Very few words can be used to describe how much we miss him. He was a shining beacon for so many people . . . Do not forget him. His art, his humor, and his performing was incredibly inspiring to say the least. He changed so many lives for the better.�

Mackay said losing any student is tragic, “but . . . he was just such an important part of our family. He was our family.�

Mackay said the School of Theatre, Film & Television will have counseling available for students on Monday.

Santos’ family has set up a Go Fund Me account at .

‘A fire in her heart’

Troetel was “sunshine incarnate,� said Topaz Servellon, a former UA student who was a close friend of hers.

“She always had a fire in her eyes and a fire in her heart, and she was an overall amazing person that just really cared about the people around her,� said Servellon, breaking down over the phone. “Over time, as I got to know her, we got to go to Scented Leaf, we got to go eat at restaurants and go visit the Tucson Museum of Art. We literally had plans to go to the museum this month.�

Servellon also got to know Santos through Troetel, and said he “clearly had a knack for being funny.�

“He truly was a really good partner to my friend, like they were super in love and they were just like the ‘it’ couple,� Servellon said through tears.

“They were both very sweet and were just so compatible with each other. I remember talking to her about Josiah and she was like, ‘Yeah, I never could have believed that I could love someone as much as I love him, and he loves me.’�

‘Call to action to install crosswalk light’

Servellon is angry about the Euclid Street and Second Street intersection near the UA campus. It is known as a site of accidents and is dangerous because there’s no light for crossing, said Servellon.

Servellon wants to put out a call to action for a crosswalk light to be installed there.

Troetel worked at KAMP for Susan McMillan, the director of UA’s Arizona Student Media, who said she gave the best hugs and made every person feel loved.

“I mean, she was the heart. She was the heart of KAMP,� McMillan told the Star late Friday. “She was the most kind, energetic, loving, caring human being. She was hyper-involved ... there was nothing she couldn’t handle. And she was a magnetic personality. She was a shining light.�

McMillan said she had spent the day Friday with devastated students. The KAMP family consists of about 150 students, she said, out of which about 30 students are in leadership positions.

“We’re all gathering in the studio space and we’re taking care of each other,� she said. “We’re eating pizza and sharing stories and we’re going to figure out how to move forward. .. We will be looking for ways to honor Sophia’s legacy with KAMP going forward and the students who she worked with will never, ever forget and will honor her memory.�

or CAPS is available to the campus community, UA officials said.