In a tragic incident, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy entered a plea of no contest on Thursday for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. The charges stem from an off-duty crash in South Gate, where the deputy was involved in a high-speed collision that resulted in the death of a 12-year-old boy.
Ricardo Castro, who is currently 30 years old, is expected to receive a six-year prison sentence. The sentencing is scheduled for September 25th at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, as reported by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Castro has agreed to waive credit for the duration he served in county jail before his release, as well as the time he spent on house arrest or electronic monitoring. Additionally, he will surrender his Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certificate.
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Castro faced charges in February 2023 for murder, vehicular manslaughter, and reckless driving causing severe bodily harm. These charges were related to a crash on November 3, 2021, which resulted in the death of Isaiah Suarez Rodriguez. The crash also caused injuries to the boy’s older sister, as well as to Castro and his passenger.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the remaining charges will be dismissed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not provided an immediate comment regarding Castro’s employment status.
The top prosecutor in the county acknowledged that Castro had undergone extensive training during his time as a sheriff’s deputy and possessed valuable personal and professional insights into the risks associated with driving at high speeds.
Gascón expressed his strong condemnation of Mr. Castro’s actions, emphasizing the devastating consequences they had on the victim’s family. He stated that the young boy had a promising future ahead of him, which was tragically cut short due to Mr. Castro’s recklessness. Gascón firmly believes that this tragedy could have been avoided and should never have occurred.
The police chief expressed his gratitude towards the L.A. County firefighters and medical staff at Long Beach Memorial Hospital for their valiant efforts. However, despite their best efforts, Isaiah tragically did not survive this horrific event.
“I want to highlight the fact that Mr. Castro had full control over this avoidable incident, and its significance cannot be underestimated. The collision took place in a heavily populated street with both drivers and pedestrians, and it happened at a time when school children were still around.”
The boy’s mother expressed her emotions in a heartfelt statement, saying, “I want to begin by expressing my love for my son. Isaiah, I love you dearly and I think about you constantly.”
The boy, who had made the decision to be baptized three days prior, went out that afternoon to get a ruler for a classmate. The classmate’s ruler had been taken away while they were being bullied.
Betsabe Suarez, the mother of the victim, expressed that her family is devastated by the loss and emphasized her gratitude that the crash was not disregarded.
In less than two years, Castro became the second Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy to face charges related to a fatal off-duty high-speed crash.
In June 2023, Daniel Manuel Auner, who is now 26 years old, received a 13-year prison sentence for his involvement in a crash. The incident resulted in the death of one of his passengers, 23-year-old Ashley Wells, and caused serious injuries to two other young women who were in his Dodge Charger.
Auner, a former deputy at the time of his sentencing, initially faced murder charges but ultimately pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter, one count of gross vehicular manslaughter, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
During a December 2021 hearing in which he was ordered to stand trial, it was revealed that Auner had been driving at a speed of 116 mph when his Dodge Charger collided with the center median. Furthermore, the vehicle was still traveling at a minimum speed of 71 mph when it ultimately crashed into a traffic pole at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and 190th Street. This information was disclosed as part of the stipulations agreed upon between the prosecution and the defense.
Torrance police arrested him in May 2021, just one day before the criminal case was filed against him.
Auner stayed in custody until he was released from jail on bond after a little over two weeks. He received credit for the 371 days he had already served during his time on house arrest. He chose not to use the credit for an additional 365 days and was taken out of the Torrance courtroom in handcuffs after his sentencing in the previous year.
