Escondido man sentenced in deadly crash

By: North County Times wire services
January 25, 2007

VISTA - An Escondido motorist who killed an elderly man while fleeing from another crash was sentenced today to four years in state prison.

Juan Espinoza Alvarado, 30, was driving a minivan about 11 a.m. Oct. 27 when he ran a red light at Escondido Boulevard and Grand Avenue, causing a three-vehicle collision.

Alvarado continued driving south on Escondido and accelerated into the intersection of Second Avenue, striking a car stopped in the fast lane in the opposite direction, according to a report prepared by the county Probation Department.


A passenger in that car, 81-year-old Inez Salazar of Escondido, died of his injuries about three hours later at a hospital.

His daughter-in-law, Florence Salazar, said the victim had been a "healthy, vibrant" person.

Alvarado was unhurt, and there were no serious injuries in the first collision.

The defendant pleaded guilty two months ago to gross vehicular manslaughter. Alcohol was not a factor in the collisions, authorities said.

Alvarado, who was sentenced by Judge Daniel Goldstein, is married with three children and has been in this country illegally for 10 years, according to the probation report.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... ogcomments

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

THANK YOU wrote on January 25, 2007 11:53 AM:"ILLEGALLY in this country just making babies for us to support and raise. This makes me sick."

Greg in Oceanside wrote on January 25, 2007 12:07 PM:"Alvarado, an ILLEGAL ALIEN, is just another in a string of traffic-related incidents, whether it's hit-and-run, drunk driving, or vehicular manslaughter that can be attributed to ILLEGAL ALIENS who have zero regard for our laws and who don't take responsibility for their actions. After he completes his sentence, I hope he is subsequently DEPORTED."

OSide Resident wrote on January 25, 2007 12:35 PM:""...has been in this country illegally for 10 years..." So he's been breaking the law for 10 years, now kills an inocent legal american, destroys the lives of families involved in the numerous accidents... and only gets 4 years in prison. He'll be let out in 2 at most, and will not be deported. He'll be back on the street breaking the laws again. Thanks to the Illegal Supports. The day where the citizens start taking actions into their own hands is coming soon."

Scott wrote on January 25, 2007 12:56 PM:"Why am I not suprised by the weak sentence? I wonder what sentence I'd get if I were an illegal living in Mexico and pulled this crap."

Thank you Supporters wrote on January 25, 2007 12:59 PM:"He was here illegally and now that he is in prison we will support his family. What a great country we live in. I wonder is he had a license or insurance? Of course not we pay for that too! I am tired of this!"

Too many deaths wrote on January 25, 2007 1:22 PM:"Another American killed by an illegal alien. This is happening way too often. Remember Amy Kortlang? How many Americans are killed each year by illegals? It's probably a bigger number than we think, and one that would embarass George Bush. Bush's solution? Make 'em legal!"

Tired of Illegals wrote on January 25, 2007 1:52 PM:"Another one of mexico's finest citizens milking the taxpayers with his anchor babies and crime wave! When are we going to grab our collective cajones and get rid of the illegal scum which are invading us?"

Skip wrote on January 25, 2007 2:07 PM:"It has been a busy week for illegal alien Traffic accidents, car chases, hit-and-runs, and driver's license/sobriety checkpoints in Escondido this week. Oh and I suppose car thefts too. I wonder if car insurance is at a higher rate if you live in Escondido? And who ever said Illegal Aliens just come her to pick lettuce and support their families?"

Concerned wrote on January 25, 2007 2:18 PM:"I used to link all of the Escondido Illegal Alien crime stories individually to an Anti-Illegal Immigration group. I give up! There are just too many now, so I just dump all of the url's and put them in a folder called "THIS WEEKS ESCONDIDO ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIME STORIES". Now I just let the readers sift through the stories and they can pick out what they want to read."


Oceanside Resident wrote on January 25, 2007 2:49 PM:"I hear what everyone is saying but not all inmigrants are here illegal! I been in Oceanside all my life born and raised. My parents came from Mexico and they have worked very hard to have all that they have. Both of my parents got there papers as soon as they got here to America and NOT once has anyone in my family milked the system or any other bull... that everyone mentions. You are all saying that the citizens need to take matters into there own hands, Great lets do it. But I can assure you that I do know personally 3 illegal residents in Oceanside who are NOT from Mexico but from Germany and India. Lets start even across the board with ALL the illegasl wether they are brown, black or white. "

Paul wrote on January 25, 2007 2:55 PM:"I would forward to the White House, but that is useless. You can't even address email to the President anymore!"

Concerned wrote on January 25, 2007 3:00 PM:"To Concerned. I've been using the on-line blog name "concerned" since May of 06. You could use a derivitive, which would differentiate our posts. Thanks, the real "Concerned.""

Concerned wrote on January 25, 2007 3:05 PM:"(The real Concerned) This is a story that happens everyday. You should have read the story that happened yesterday in Murrita. It was in The Californian. An overloaded truck was pulled over. Driver was illegal, and wanted as a molester. They took him to jail and called the trucking company that owned the truck. Later in the day, the same truck was in a wreck. The driver, another illegal, took off. Anyway, it just goes on and on. They make the roads unsafe because they don't know, nor obey, our laws. And this guy, married with three anchor babies. Guess who paid for them? Jeeze!!!!!"

Oceanside Resident is Right! wrote on January 25, 2007 3:15 PM:"We need to deport ALL illegals, regardless of where they are from. Too bad 99% of them are from mexico, giving the honest immigrants a bad rap! BTW - if you know about these other illegals, why have you not snitched them off to ICE? You are just as big a crook as they are by not reporting them!"

Nancy wrote on January 25, 2007 3:28 PM:"So what's going to happen to this guy? Is he just going to get a slap on the wrist and sent back to Mexico so he can return like the guy that hit me 12 years ago after zig zaging through stopped traffic, hitting me broadside, bouncing off of me and hitting me again and totaling my new car. Fortunatly I had no life threatening injuries. In this case someone is dead now. Does this illegal not get the kind of punishment that a US citizen would get? It's absurd if he doesn't!!"

Ed wrote on January 25, 2007 3:34 PM:"The family of the victim needs to file a wrongful death lawsuit against President Bush, the Federal Government, the Department of Homeland Security, and the senior management of the local Border Patrol and Immigration and Custom Enforcement agencies. The basis for the law suit being that if this illegal alien had been apprehended and deported and kept out of the country sometime during the last ten years, that their loved one would never have been killed. If our borders were secure and illegal aliens kept to a minimum, the country would be more able to spend it's resources fighting the crime commited by it the thugs who are allowed to be here."

To Nancy wrote on January 25, 2007 4:35 PM:"Undoubtedly, this guy will be released before his 4 year sentence is up. Some MALDEF attorney will probably argue against separating him from his American-born children, for sake of family unification, so he won't be deported. Under Bush's comprehensive immigration reform, he will demonstrate that he was working and living in the U.S. long enough to qualify for amnesty. He will then become a legal resident, entitled to vote, and entitled to a bunch of goodies you pay for with your taxes."

Eyes Opening wrote on January 25, 2007 5:14 PM:"I have lost my sympathy with the illegal immigrnts who abuse the country they supposedly want to be part of. Too many want to milk the system for welfare money, break our laws, hit and run, let their children run wild as gang bangers; I have had it. I welcome legal immigrants and even want to reform our immigration policy, but I want the reform to start with getting rid of all the illegals currently here--along with their citizen babies! when they are 18 and self supporting then let them back. "

Todd wrote on January 25, 2007 5:24 PM:"Come on ACLU..say something!!GET THE ILLEGALS OUT OF HERE!!!Come on people deduct 25% from your state & federal taxes until they clean it up.One for all,all for one!"

Skip wrote on January 25, 2007 5:38 PM:"What I do not understand is that Califronia released a big poll today that said Californians did not mind higher taxes for universal health care , even if it included illegal Aliens."


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