A Point Reyes man was sentenced to five years in state prison for an intoxicated crash that killed a teenage passenger in his car.
Josuep Macias Mendoza, 22, pleaded guilty in November to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and committing a hit-and-run offense that caused death or injury. The victim was 16-year-old Ramón Romo Zúñiga.
As part of Macias Mendoza’s plea agreement with the prosecution, two charges related to intoxicated driving were dismissed.
Judge Kevin Murphy sentenced Macias Mendoza on Tuesday in Marin County Superior Court.
Macias Mendoza’s defense attorney, Roy Miller, could not be reached for comment.
The crime happened on April 15, 2023, when Macias Mendoza was driving an Infiniti A60 sedan on Marshall Petaluma Road near Highway 1. He was traveling with his 16-year-old brother and Romo Zúñiga.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the car went off the road and down a hillside before hitting a tree. Macias Mendoza ran away, leaving his injured passengers behind, the CHP said.
Macias Mendoza returned to the crash site later. Medics took him to MarinHealth Medical Center for treatment of major injuries. Then police booked him into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
First responders transported the victims to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where Romo Zúñiga died the next day. He was a junior at Tomales High School.
Soon after the crash, West Marin Community Services co-organized an online fundraiser to assist Romo Zúñiga’s family with the funeral and medical expenses. The fundraiser’s webpage noted that his family also lost their home to a fire a few months before Romo Zúñiga’s death.
The Marin County District Attorney’s Office charged Macias Mendoza after a six-month investigation.
The charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.