A drunk driver was convicted June 30 of two counts of second-degree murder in the 2014 deaths of his passengers which included Carlos Kristopher Vargas, 20, of Chula Vista.
Jurors also convicted Mario Alberto Carranza, 28, of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter in the April 19, 2014 deaths of Monica Lupercio, 20, of San Diego, and Vargas.
Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright said Carranza faces a maximum term of 30 years to life in prison. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Ronald Frazier set sentencing for Aug. 19.
Carranza took his guests to a party in Alpine the night before and spent the night in a bathtub. The next morning, he was still intoxicated and lost control of his vehicle on Interstate 8 in Blossom Valley. He drifted onto the center divider, overcorrected, and drove through a chain link fence before overturning in a concrete culvert.
His blood/alcohol level at a hospital was .27, which is three times the legal limit. Bright argued his alcohol level showed “conscious disregard for life.” She said Carranza made no braking movements before the fatal crash and used cocaine the night of the party.
Carranza, of San Diego, testified he did not remember some things from 30 hours of classes with Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD) that he was ordered when he had a drunk driving conviction in 2007.
“We all learn things and forget things,” said Carranza’s attorney, George Siddell about the MADD classes.
Siddell said Carranza was given special education classes in school and has “learning issues.” He argued Carranza had no intent to injure anyone and suffered a concussion and broken bones from the crash. He said an expert witness testified the crash could have occurred even if Carranza had not been drinking.
Siddell told jurors the accident could have been caused when the power steering went out, as Carranza said he had trouble steering the car. Siddell said there was likely a hairline crack in the power steering container that existed before the accident and drained it, as there was no pool of red power steering fluid at the scene. The container was damaged in the crash.
Siddell urged jurors to consider convicting Carranza of vehicular manslaughter and not murder.
Bright said “the cause of that crash was the defendant,” and not the Nissan he was driving. She said everyone wore seat belts.
Jurors deliberated about 8 ½ hours over three days before convicting Carranza on all counts. The trial began June 20. Carranza remains in jail on $1 million bail.
