Jury selection for Abrams trial begins

Alex Coolman

COSTA MESA -- Jury selection began Monday for the trial of Steven

Allen Abrams, the man accused of killing two preschool children last year

by driving his car onto a crowded Costa Mesa playground and shocking an

entire community.

Abrams drove his Cadillac onto the playground of the Southcoast Early

Childhood Learning Center on May 3, 1999, killing Sierra Soto, 4, and

Brandon Wiener, 3.

He faces two counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder for

his actions, which also left several students and a teacher’s aide

injured.

Abrams has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Police charge, however, that his actions were premeditated and that he

sped onto the playground with the specific intention of killing his

victims.

The motive for the killings, police have speculated, may have had to

do with frustration over Abrams’ romantic desire for a neighbor.

The case has brought a lasting sorrow to the community. Even after the

trauma of the event itself, lawsuits filed by the parents of both victims

created controversy, with some community members charging that the

parents were being opportunistic.

Jury selection was initially scheduled to take place in July, but was

postponed.

Officials on Monday said they did not know how long the selection

process would take.