At first glance, it looks like a light sentence for 16-year-old
Omar De La Cruz.
At first glance, it looks like a light sentence for 16-year-old Omar De La Cruz.
De La Cruz was tried as a juvenile and pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter in the Dec. 6 auto wreck that took the lives of Paul Galvan and Matthew Lopez, two recent San Benito High grads.
De La Cruz was reportedly driving more than 100 mph and had a blood alcohol content of .05, along with being an unlicensed driver.
He was sentenced last week to a minimum of six months at a juvenile ranch.
We agree with the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Harry Tobias and feel that the District Attorney’s Office request for five years in the much-maligned California Youth Authority was too harsh.
However, we also understand the anguish from the families of the two young men who died. Two lives filled with promise suddenly ended at the intersection of Santa Ana Valley and Fairview roads. And even more could have died or been critically injured.
Tobias must have seen remorse and grief in the young man and wisely factored that into the sentence.
What we especially hope is this: That De La Cruz not only completes his sentence and programs that go with it so that his life will turn around accordingly. But to also fulfill a promise that was passed along to the Free Lance through his attorney, Tom Worthington.
When De La Cruz gets out, he plans to hold talks with other kids about the dangers of drinking and driving.
“He is dedicated to the idea of seeing if he can help other kids that would drink and drive,” Worthington said.
That’s a very important vow to keep.
It might save local lives down the road, especially with the message coming from a young man who has experienced the horror of drinking and driving in real life – and lived to tell about it.
