news-record.com

NEWS

Man pleads guilty in wreck that killed 2

Tuesday, November 13, 2007
(Updated Saturday, July 19, 2008 - 11:50 pm)

A man charged with driving drunk and killing two people in a September wreck on Interstate 40/85 in Guilford County will spend a minimum of five years in prison.

Jose De Jesus Euzondo Balderas, 19, of Mexico pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to two counts of felony death by motor vehicle. He was sentenced to a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of nearly 8 years, which is at the highest range for someone with no previous record, according to Superior Court Judge Christopher Collier and Guilford County Assistant District Attorney Chris Parrish.

Family members of one victim, 17-year-old Crystal Cargua, say it's just not enough.

Cargua and Sylvester McLean were waiting for a tow truck, sitting in a Dodge Neon on the inside shoulder of southbound Interstate 40/85 around 11 a.m. Sept. 23 when Balderas smashed into their car, records show. The vehicles caught fire. Only Balderas escaped.

"This guy killed two people and he got five years," Crystal's father, Manuel, said after the sentencing. The laws need to be stricter, he said. The sentence, he said, should be at least 20 years.

Read more in Wednesday's News & Record.

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jfernandez@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

Photo Caption: Jose De Jesus Euzondo Balderas

eMail Updates

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Featured Ads

Search

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us

News & Record Network Sites

User Tools

  • Mobile
  • Social
  • RSS
  • Share
  • Sign in to MyNR

Search