SAN DIEGO — A 33-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday afternoon for a deadly DUI crash that claimed the lives of two people.
81-year-old Suad Alsamari and her grandson 23-year-old Ahmed Alrawi died in the May crash near Sports Arena Blvd. and Rosecrans Street.
During his arraignment, defendant Edgar Suarez Espinosa pled not guilty to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, felony DUI charges, and a misdemeanor count of driving without a license.
However, in July he changed his plea to guilty on all counts.
At Wednesday's hearing, the judge gave Suarez the maximum sentence of 14 years 8 months behind bars.
About 10 family members of the victims packed the courtroom. Several gave emotional testimony to the judge.
Prosecutors say Suarez was speeding and driving drunk, when he lost control of his Toyota pickup, hit a center median, and flew through the air into the Toyota Sienna van carrying four family members.
The victims were in the back seat of the van and died at the scene.
Two other family members in the front seat were treated for back injuries and later released from the hospital.
The family's 6-month-old German Shepherd named “Cookie” was missing, after he ran away from the accident scene.
As it turns out, employees at the San Diego Airport Parking lot, two blocks east of the crash site, found the puppy the day after the crash, cowering underneath a parked car.
They took the puppy to the Humane Society on Gaines Street. Veterinarians examined the dog, gave it x-rays, and although the dog had a slight limp, it was cleared for release and was reunited with the family.
Suarez is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. CBS 8 will have a crew in the courtroom and we will let you know what happens.
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