A Santa Ana man now faces charges for vehicular manslaughter after a child he hit with his vehicle while allegedly drunk died from his injuries.
Ceferino Ramos, 29, is accused of plowing into a family of five as they rode bikes in the area of Haster Street and Twintree Lane in Garden Grove.
He then allegedly fled the scene before being tracked down by authorities about a mile away from the scene thanks to a good Samaritan who had followed him.
When given a breathalyzer test, Ramos was found to have a blood alcohol level of .22, nearly three-times the legal limit, authorities said. A half-full bottle of beer was sitting on the car’s roof at the time of his arrest, officials said.
The Hernandez-Mejia family, Angel and Angela and their kids, 7-year-old Gianna, 5-year-old Jacob and their 7-month-old daughter, were all rushed to the hospital. Angel, Gianna and Jacob were listed in critical condition at the time.
Angela and the infant had relatively short hospital stays; Gianna has since been released after undergoing multiple surgeries.
Angel Mejia, the patriarch of the family, remains in a coma after suffering a fractured skull and a brain bleed, officials said.
Jacob, the couple’s only son, suffered a significant brain injury and was pronounced brain dead by hospital staff after not responding to treatment. He died a week after the crash.
On Wednesday, Ramos was charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in connection with Jacob’s death. He was previously charged with several counts related to driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of a crash.
He also faces special enhancements for causing a brain injury and paralysis in his alleged victims.
Ramos himself was uninjured in the crash.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said a boy like Jacob should’ve spent his summer with friends and family, enjoying life instead of having it come to a tragically short end.
“This is a crime that should have never happened, and it is something that this family will never recover from,” Spitzer said in a news release. “Jacob is so much more than another drunk driving statistic, but as a result of the selfish decision of a stranger to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, five-year-old Jacob has become another casualty of a crime that is completely preventable.”
Ramos now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and four months if convicted on all charges.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is urged to contact the Garden Grove Police Department. A verified GoFundMe has been organized to help the family during this time.