The Antelope Valley Times

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Lancaster man gets 25 years for drunken crash that killed 11-year-old girl

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Emily Tovar Echeverria and Eduardo Medrano Jr.

LANCASTER  – A 25-year state prison term was handed down this week for a drunken driver who caused a crash in Lancaster that claimed the life of an 11- year-old girl, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Eduardo Medrano Jr., 25, of Lancaster was sentenced Wednesday in an Antelope Valley courtroom. He pleaded no contest Sept. 6 to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with the July 18 crash that resulted in Emily Tovar Echeverria’s death two days later.

Medrano drove through a red light on 20th Street East and collided with a vehicle in which the 11-year-old girl was a passenger, according to Deputy District Attorney David Delgado.

Medrano fled from the scene of the crash and surrendered July 21 at the Lancaster sheriff’s station after authorities released a photo and asked the public to be on the lookout for him.

Three other counts against Medrano — one count each of murder, hit-and-run resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter — were dismissed as a result of his plea.

Medrano’s girlfriend, Alicia Torres, 23, pleaded no contest to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to three years probation.

Previous related stories:

Hit-and-run suspect’s girlfriend charged in deadly crash

Man pleads not guilty to charges stemming from crash that resulted in 11-year-old girl’s death

Hit-and-run victim gives gift of life

Suspect arrested in Lancaster hit-and-run

Girl dies after Lancaster hit-and-run crash, suspect still sought

Suspect sought in Lancaster hit-and-run

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Lancaster

32 comments for "Lancaster man gets 25 years for drunken crash that killed 11-year-old girl"

  1. A 25 year sentence in Mexifornia is utterly meaningless. Archetypical sanctuary state, dedicated to going soft on Hispanics, I wouldn’t bet on Eduardo doing more than 5 years.

    • Is there some reason that you think they should? Name of the judge is not really a significant detail of the story, as far as I know.

    • Law enforcement, the judiciary, and the media are bestest buddies. Tag-teaming the taxpayer like an opened wallet chump while peck-peck-pecking away, at our founding Father’s constitutional amendments, these people always have each other backs. These people are not (NOT) our friends. It’s us, versus them.

  3. hallmark characteristic of a sanctuary city judiciary: (1) different laws for different people, (2) assigned leniencies for different social and racial cohorts, and artificially (3) harsh sentencing at trial rolled significantly, once the television cameras turn away. For the negro community, sanctuary city courts go soft on shoplifting, looting, arson, and black-on-white gangland beatdowns. For the Hispanic community, the courts go soft on nit-‘n-run, drunk driving, welfare fraud, and illegal residency. Rule of thumb, divide by 5 under sanctuary city rules, Eduardo can expect a conditional release, in 5 years. If he’s a good boy, perhaps three –

    • So, this comment is so far removed from reality on so many different points that the only way to deal with it is as a whole. As a whole, it is garbage, start to finish.

    • … in fact, Julia is quite correct. Underlying principle of a “sanctuary” state is judicial regression to a variable enforcement mechanism, “…to each according to need,” as foretold by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engles. Henceforth, a more simplistic way of elucidating it, different laws for different people. Thesis, plus antithesis, equals synthesis, Hegelian dialect rides again!

  4. You see that’s the thing about people taking plea deals if you take a deal for 15 to life you can get out after 15 years but the state of California does not release people with anything that says life I know people who got sentences 15 to life 25 to life and has served 15 and 25 years in prison but has not been released not for bad behavior but for the reason California does not release people with anything that says life juveniles can get out a juvenile life sentence is only up to the age 25 as long as they get tried as a juvenile and not a adult they’ll be released on parole

    • WRONG….i had a relative that got 17 years to life, he was not given any credit for time in custody during trial, but was released after 22 years and some change…it does happen…just depends on your behavior and such inside. If this dude took 25 years period… he will do most likely 13 or 14 depending on behavior and past charges or Felonies….. Good for him he saved the family the pain of a trial, and deserves this sentence based on the fact he was a coward and left the scene of the accident

      • Vehicular manslaughter falls under california violent crimes California Penal Code Section 667.5(c) which mandates he or she serve 85% of the sentence in state prison. so 25 years for him he will have to serve 21 years and 4 months before he’s released.

  5. Ask anybody who’s ever been to prison he is not going to a fire Camp a level 1 a level 2 or a level 3 he’s going to start off on a level 4 yard prison they have a point system and his points is going to be high because he’s a lifer trust me they are not soft on people who kill little kids once they check his paperwork his ass is grass this is a high-profile case and they will do a background check on it they’ll have someone Google his name the case of pop up and trust me they going to see the picture of this pretty little girl and they’re going to get in don’t believe the TV show stop watching TV so much

    • That’s actually not accurate dui man slaughter you can get into a camp program. I’ve seen a few guys get dui’s that result in death and be able to make into a camp

  6. … Eduardo will likely be relocated to one of our low-security, fast-food prisons reserved, for non-violent offenders (e.g., McFarland), where family members will be counted upon to ante up his cash account for items he’ll need from the prison store during his brief stay (e.g., shaving & toiletries; Twinkies; Dingdongs; Snowballs; Hostess doughnuts). Good behavior in a sanctuary state, where Hispanic prisoners enjoy preferential treatment, Eduardo can count on an early release, in as little as three years –

    • You’re so wrong there’s no way this man is getting out in California a life sentence mean you will be in prison for your life you will not get out you will go to a parole board and they will deny you every time life means life that’s why California has more prisons than anywhere else

    • When you arrive at prison you get classified they have a point system that determines the prison yard you will go on when you have a life sentence your points is going to be very high he’s going to start out on a level 4 prison yard and people with life sentences the lowest yard they can make it to is a level 2 yard he will not be in Kiddieland he’s going to do hard time

  7. So realistically he might do six yrs huh
    Mr DA. The real joke is he’ll be out before you could ever imagine. Just look at the rap sheets of the most wanted paroles here. Many of them have murder on their script. Justice is a joke.

    • This man is never getting out of prison you should not speak about the da because I’m telling you life means life in California the people that you see on AV Most Wanted with murder cases are more likely had them as juveniles and you can get out but as an adult you cannot get out in California

      • Well, one sure reason would be that he hasn’t been to prison for it yet. The trial is still going on.

      • PROTECTIVE CUSTODY ORDER K-10 INMATE, HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY EVEN WHEN HE GOES TO PRISON AND IF HE HAPPENS TO BE ATTACKED HE CAN SUE A BECOME A MILLIONARE SO KEEP DREAMING YOUR FETISHES

        • well, HE won’t become a millionaire because 1) he’ll actually be in prison and won’t have access to any potential money, and 2) he’ll likely have restitution to pay to the family, so any settlement he gets will go directly to them.

  9. I don’t think this young man know what prison system has in store for him he’s going to have a very hard time being labeled a child killer he might as well just grab the Vaseline and bend over

    • NO HE WONT HES A SOUTHSIDER THEY RUN ALL THE PRISONS ALSO HIS UNCLE,IS A MM MEMBER SO,HE WILL BE PROTECTED, ONLY WHITE GET BENT OVER IN PRISON THEY HAVE TO GIVE THE CHONCHO OVER

      • Yeah bro, everybody has a murder charge and just walk out of jail after a few months with a Starbucks in their hand. The scariest part is that people like you can vote. Go find some medication, and a brain, and take them both. Geezus.

        • The people making claims about “non-white privilege” certainly come across as irrational and desperate, don’t they?