A jury this week convicted a 19-year-old De Soto man of a misdemeanor for his role in the death last year of his girlfriend, 17.

Johnny Landa’s defense attorney, Tom Bath, said the guilty verdict of vehicular homicide and not second-degree murder proved Griselda Del Real’s death was an accident and that prosecutors had “ridiculously charged” the case.

According to testimony, Del Real was jealous Landa was in a vehicle with another girl. She jumped onto the running board of Landa’s sport utility vehicle while he was backing the vehicle on the night of Aug. 31.

Landa asked her to get down, and at some point when he began driving forward, she fell. Del Real suffered a fatal head injury.

Prosecutors in Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline’s office had said he acted recklessly and showed disregard for human life. The misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail. Landa already has served more than five months.

Landa is due in court Thursday. Bath says he still plans to appeal the conviction because the defense believes prosecutors did not prove enough aggravating factors contributed.

Brian Burgess, a spokesman for Kline’s office, said the district attorney’s office had no comment on the verdict.