SAN FRANCISCO—On May 15, new reports indicate that Mary Fong Lau, the reckless driver who fatally struck a young couple and their two babies waiting at a bus stop while traveling eastbound on Ulloa Street in her Mercedes SUV is now facing new allegations.
Initially, prosecutors charged Lau with four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter. Victims’ advocates representing the families of the deceased filed an additional case in civil court.
In June of 2024, the parents of the deceased filed a wrongful death suit to which Lau pleaded not guilty. Lau was released on bail.
New findings indicate that Ms. Lau has made transfers in her accounts in an apparent effort to hide her wealth.
Multiple reports indicate that Lau owns a commercial building at 2969 Mission Street, a house at 155 Pixley, and another house at 250 Crest Lake Drive. The two homes together are worth an estimated $1 million.
Records indicate that on August 8, 2024, Lau transferred all three properties from her name to a couple limited liability groups: Desert Canyon Ventures LLC and Sterling Haven Management LLC.
Attorneys with Quadra and Coll have reportedly requested the court not to reverse transfers of property made after the fatal crash and block future efforts to transfer equity out of Ms. Lau’s name.
It is the Uniform Voidable Transaction Act (UVTA) that Lau may be violating. This law is designed to prevent debtors from transferring assets to avoid creditors, or in this case, financial responsibility.
According to a March 18, 2024 SFPD press release, the incident occurred on March 16, 2024, at approximately 12:13 p.m. when a suspect, later identified as 78-year-old Mary Fong Lau, ran into the bus stop at the intersection of Ulloa Street and Lenox Way killing a young family of four including Diego Cardoso de Oliveiera, 40, Matilde Moncado Ramos Pinto,38, and their two children one-year-old, Joaquin, and two month old, Caue.
The family was waiting for the bus to take them to the San Francisco Zoo.
The following came directly from the SFPD press release:
“Officers arrived on scene and located multiple victims suffering from injuries. SFPD Officers and SFFD Firefighters rendered aid to the victims. Despite life-saving efforts made by first responders, two victims were declared deceased at the scene. Three patients were transported to the hospital with injuries.
Despite the lifesaving efforts of the hospital staff, the third victim, an adult female, succumbed to her injuries at the hospital and an infant is still suffering from life-threatening injuries.
…This incident was a heartbreaking tragedy. The San Francisco Police Department offers its deepest condolences to the victims, their families and loved ones, and everyone at the scene who witnessed and assisted first responders.”
