A former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been sentenced to six years in prison following a 2021 off-duty crash in South Gate that resulted in the death of 12-year-old Isaiah Suarez Rodriguez. Ricardo Castro, 30, entered a no-contest plea to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, as reported by CBS News Los Angeles. The crash also left Rodriguez's older sister injured alongside Castro and his passenger, ABC 7 details.
Part of Castro's plea agreement entails the surrender of his Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate, and the District Attorney's Office confirmed that he has waived credit for his time in county jail before release, including his house arrest and electronic monitoring period according to Press-Telegram. Castro, who was initially charged with one count each of murder, vehicular manslaughter, and reckless driving causing great bodily injury, saw the former two counts dismissed following the plea agreement. "Mr. Castro will be required to pay dearly for his actions," Los Angeles Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar remarked during the sentencing.
Castro was recorded traveling approximately 95 mph in a 25 mph school zone at the time of the accident and has been involved in multiple collisions and received traffic citations in the past, which include tickets for speeding, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón revealed, Gascón added that Castro knew well the dangers of excessive speed due to his law enforcement training and emphasized that the incident was "preventable and should have never happened," in statements obtained by ABC 7 and Press-Telegram.
At the sentencing, Castro expressed his remorse, saying, "It was never intended to happen," adding, "I am truly remorseful for the loss of Isaiah," he also wished to personally apologize to the boy's family emphasizing the unintended nature of the tragedy, Castro's statements were reported by CBS News Los Angeles. Throughout the trial, the victim's family expressed their profound loss and pursuit of justice Isaiah's uncle questioned the fairness of the sentence, pointing to Castro's oath as a law enforcement officer and pondering if he may have thought himself "above the law."
Representatives from the South Gate Police Department, including Chief Darren Arakawa, had previously described the event as a "horrific" and "preventable" accident, stating that Rodriguez "didn't stand a chance in that crash" due to Castro's "unsafe speed far beyond the speed limit," this was reported during a news conference in February 2023 and can be referenced through Press-Telegram.
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