Woman Says Plea Deal For Man That Killed Her Parents In Stockton DUI Crash Is 'Slap In The Face'
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A family devastated by a double fatal DUI that happened in Stockton last November says they feel victimized again, this time, by the courts.
The driver entered into a plea agreement. Now, the family is speaking out about the amount of time he may serve behind bars and why they think it's not enough.
Anxiety-ridden, Tamera Trotter, was holding family tight as she walked into the San Joaquin County courthouse, prepared to hear a judge sentence the man who killed her parents.
"The plea deal is he'll receive anywhere from 12 months up to two years," she said, and added, "Three-hundred-sixty-five days is one year—one year for each life."
Juan Contreras Cabrera (credit: Stockton Police Department)
Court documents show Juan Contreras Cabrera pleaded guilty to charges, including felony vehicle manslaughter with gross negligence after crashing into Trotter's parents' car last November, killing her 84-year-old stepmother, Carole Berrillio, and leaving her 81-year-old father, Ivan, with critical injuries. After a four-month-long fight in the hospital, Ivan died.
"Two people are dead and won't ever be back," Trotter said.
So, what's the typical sentence for felony vehicle manslaughter? Attorney David Gome says California law allows for a wide range—anywhere from probation and no jail time to six years in prison.
While the judge in Cabrera's case postponed sentencing until June, Trotter's family hopes the court will issue the maximum punishment.
"It's a slap on the wrist and it's a slap in the face to the family," Trotter said.
We have repeatedly asked the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office for details of the agreement, but they declined to respond.