A 29-year-old man has been convicted of a drunken driving crash in Cypress that resulted in the death of his girlfriend, who was in the passenger’s seat, just hours after attending a class on the dangers of drinking and driving. This information comes from court records obtained on Friday.
Nicolas Linley Sanchez-McCormick was found guilty of second-degree murder on Thursday. However, a date for his sentencing has not yet been determined.
The incident, which took place on Easter, April 16, 2017, involved the death of Sanchez-McCormick’s 22-year-old girlfriend, Alexis Barragan from La Mirada.
Sanchez-McCormick was charged with murder rather than voluntary manslaughter due to a prior offense of driving under the influence, for which he had received warnings about the dangers of drunk driving.
“This is a case that embodies every parent’s worst nightmare, and unfortunately, it became a tragic reality for one family on Easter,” stated Deputy District Attorney Devin Campbell during the trial’s opening statement.
“What’s even more distressing is that the defendant, who happened to be the victim’s boyfriend at the time, was the one driving. To make matters worse, the defendant’s blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit. And what’s truly devastating is that this incident could have been avoided. The defendant had a history of breaking the law, consuming alcohol, and engaging in recklessness while under the influence,” added Campbell.
The collision occurred while Barragan was riding in the passenger seat of the 2005 Chevy Malibu Classic being driven by Sanchez-McCormick, according to Campbell.
Campbell further explained that Sanchez-McCormick had been previously arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles County in the early hours of New Year’s Day. As a result, he was required to attend DUI classes.
“According to the evidence presented, the defendant had consumed eight to nine alcoholic beverages. Additionally, the location of Huntington Beach was miles away from their home,” Campbell highlighted in his closing argument.
The crash occurred at approximately 12:41 a.m. while the couple was driving back home. They collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Katella Avenue and Valley View Street. Despite the preceding car slowing down at the red light, Sanchez-McCormick swerved around it, speeding through the intersection at 50 to 55 mph, according to Campbell.
“The defendant displayed a complete disregard for safety, and unfortunately, the expected occurred,” Campbell commented.
Initially, the collision involved a Ford Fusion carrying a couple and their 15-year-old son who were returning home from a visit with extended family in Newport Beach, Campbell explained. The impact caused both vehicles to spin within the intersection until a Chevy Silverado pickup truck crashed into the defendant’s car.
Firefighters had to extricate the defendant and his girlfriend from the wreckage, as they were trapped inside, Campbell mentioned.
According to Terri Lynn Tauro, the defendant’s attorney from the Public Defender’s Office, the couple had spent the day by the beach at the pier.
When first responders arrived at the scene of the crash, they witnessed the defendant embracing Barragan, kissing her, and asking if she was awake. However, Barragan had already passed away at that point, Tauro stated.
“This was an unfortunate accident, not a case of murder,” said the defense attorney, Tauro. She argued that the evidence presented during the trial did not definitively establish her client’s blood-alcohol level.
Tauro acknowledged that the defendant had been driving above the speed limit but claimed it was not more than 10 mph and that he was simply following the flow of traffic.
Tauro also urged the jury to remain observant for potential bias among the officers who responded to and investigated the crash.
Furthermore, she argued that her client’s history of driving violations and encounters with the law should be viewed in the context of his youthful years and the still-developing adolescent brain.
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