A tragic turn of events unfolded in Garden Grove, where a family's leisurely bike ride ended in heartbreak. According to NBC Los Angeles, Ceferino Ascencion Ramos, 29, from Santa Ana, now faces upgraded charges including vehicular manslaughter following the death of Jacob Ramirez, a 5-year-old boy involved in the July 7 DUI crash. Initially, Ramos was detained and found with a blood-alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors report that the boy's father, Angel Ramirez, is still in a coma with a fractured skull while Jacob's 6-year-old sister, has been released after undergoing critical surgery. The rest of the family, biking ahead when the incident occurred, suffered minor injuries. A quick-thinking witness who saw the crash followed Ramos and provided information that led to his capture.
Ramos is charged with "one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated; one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury; one felony count of driving with blood alcohol of .08% or more causing bodily injury; and one felony count of hit and run with injury," as reported by CBS News Los Angeles. If convicted, Ramos could serve a maximum sentence of 20 years and four months.
The District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed grave sentiments regarding the incident: "A five-year-old boy’s summer days should be spent playing outside, telling silly jokes, laughing and being loud because that’s what little boys do, not laying in a hospital bed hooked up to a machine fighting for their life because someone decided the next beer was more important than Jacob," according to the office's press release. The senior deputy district attorney, Devin Campbell, is leading the prosecution.
