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“I would rather it be me than them,” said Jacob Gonzalez as he addresses friends and family members of two victims of a March 28 car crash before his sentencing Friday at the Douglas County Courthouse. At right is his defense attorney Kareen Lavalley.
Sixteen-year-old Jacob Andrew Gonzalez was sentenced to spend just over six years in custody Friday afternoon after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a March 28 drunken driving crash that killed two other teens.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty before Douglas County Circuit Judge Ronald Poole to two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
In exchange for his plea, a charge of fourth-degree assault was dismissed.
Gonzalez was behind the wheel of the car that crashed on Old Melrose Road, causing the death of 17-year-old Rachel Merrell and 15-year-old Anthony “Tony” Nickles. Sutherlin teen Sarah Sitton suffered minor injuries in the crash that left Gonzalez in the hospital with serious injuries that he has since recovered from.
Gonzalez’s blood alcohol level following the crash was determined to be .15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of .08.
Poole sentenced Gonzalez according to the plea agreement, which called for the two 75-month Measure 11 minimum sentences for manslaughter to run at the same time, as well as the 12-month sentence for driving drunk.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty before Douglas County Circuit Judge Ronald Poole to two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
In exchange for his plea, a charge of fourth-degree assault was dismissed.
Gonzalez was behind the wheel of the car that crashed on Old Melrose Road, causing the death of 17-year-old Rachel Merrell and 15-year-old Anthony “Tony” Nickles. Sutherlin teen Sarah Sitton suffered minor injuries in the crash that left Gonzalez in the hospital with serious injuries that he has since recovered from.
Gonzalez’s blood alcohol level following the crash was determined to be .15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of .08.
Poole sentenced Gonzalez according to the plea agreement, which called for the two 75-month Measure 11 minimum sentences for manslaughter to run at the same time, as well as the 12-month sentence for driving drunk.
