Judge Hilleri Merritt sentenced a Newhall man to 15 years in state prison for the death of his friend in a Nov. 1, 2023, DUI crash.
Raul Rosales Ramirez, now 23, has been in L.A. County jail since his arrest the day of the crash just over three years ago, which resulted in the death of Orlando Gomez Sales, a 39-year-old Santa Clarita man, who was his passenger.
The single-car crash happened on the west side of the southbound lanes of Bouquet Canyon Road, according to deputy testimony at Ramirez’s preliminary hearing.
A jury convicted Ramirez of second-degree murder on Sept. 8, and Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Monge Jimenez filed a motion Oct. 21 seeking the maximum penalty, a sentence of 15 years to life.
Deputy Samuel Curameng, a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station expert in DUI investigations, testified that there were multiple signs of intoxication for Ramirez, who was trapped in the driver’s seat after the crash, according to court records from the crash investigation. Those signs included a heavy odor of alcohol on him, red eyes, slurred speech and an unsteady gait, according to testimony from Curameng.
The deputies who responded at 3:37 a.m. Nov. 1, 2023, to Bouquet Canyon Road, near Sutters Pointe Drive, said an Apple watch made a 911 notification to the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
Ramirez decided to make the drive after having five Modelo beers and then consuming two more on the drive to “Jasmine’s,” a local Mexican restaurant that “turned into a club in the evening hours,” according to an L.A. County District Attorney’s Office filing that sought the maximum penalty for Ramirez.
The DA’s filing also reported that Ramirez was going 84 mph when he initially hit a tree, and that his blood-alcohol content was close to double the legal limit more than three hours after the crash.
Those were cited as factors in the cause of collision. The legal reason behind the more serious charge was multiple formal “admonishments” Ramirez had been given regarding the dangers of drinking and driving.
The formal warnings are used by the prosecution as evidence when injury or fatal incidents occur in order to support more serious charges. They’re commonly known by law enforcement as “Watson advisements.”
The first evidence of one was at Hart High School, for a program called “Every 15 Minutes,” an interactive student-led program at local high schools that demonstrates what happens an average of four times every hour when someone gets injured or killed due to unsafe driving.
The second, according to the D.A., was five months prior to the crash, when Ramirez was convicted of a DUI after a witness reported that he had run several red lights and then hit a parked car.
Martinez was given credit for three years of time served prior to his conviction. He also was ordered to pay restitution upon his release at a hearing scheduled for next month.
