Victor Siharath, a 37-year-old resident of Pomona, received a sentence of 30 years to life in prison on Thursday, after pleading no contest to DUI and murder stemming from a tragic accident last year that claimed the lives of three women who were just leaving a baby shower, according to ABC7. The collision, which occurred on March 2, 2024, at White Avenue and Phillips Boulevard, happened as Siharath ran a red light and his vehicle met devastatingly with the victims' car, among the injured were the husband of one of the deceased women and the 12-year-old daughter of another.
In the wake of the sentencing, relatives of the victims provided penetrating testimonies, one saying "I never in a million years would've thought that would be the last time I hugged her - because of this man," ABC7 reported while another family member expressed a loss that words could scarcely contain, the family navigating a world now void of a beloved's footsteps, laughter that once filled rooms now hollow with absence. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Roy Delgado handed down the sentence, noting the grief suffered by the victims' families, as reported by FOX 11. He stated, "Justice demands accountability" and expressed a hope for their eventual peace.
According to FOX 11, the Pomona Police Department confirmed that the crash happened around 11 p.m. and Siharath, who had a prior DUI conviction from 2014, had previously been legally warned that a repeat offense resulting in death could lead to murder charges. Moreover, Siharath has remained incarcerated since the accident, with city jail records supporting his continuous custody.
Emotions in the courtroom resonated with the weight of loss, Maria Clementine Borda, mother of victim Yesenia Ochoa, remarked in a statement obtained by FOX 11, "c" she shared her coping mechanism of scattering her daughter's photographs throughout her home as a way to fill a glaring void, meanwhile, Jose Olaez, struck by twin tragedies in the loss of his wife and sister reiterated that responsibility could have averted the calamity if the offender had opted for an alternative to his personal, lethal conduct on that fateful night, pondering the prospect of parole and a potential second chance for Siharath, his sentiments pairing with the anguished echo of his family's suffering.
The aftermath of the crash has seen a cascade of mourning and calls for justice from impacted families and the community. Cindy Ramos, a cousin to one of the victims, spoke with reporters after the incident, expressing her desire for the strictest legal consequences for Siharath, as "the children that were left behind" cope with an egregious void, according to information gathered by FOX 11.
