Rancho Cucamonga woman found guilty of gross vehicular manslaughter
A jury convicted a 29-year-old Rancho Cucamonga woman Thursday on four felony counts, including two manslaughter charges, from a 2006 drunken driving crash left two people dead.
Yvonne Sinclair looked down and cried softly as the verdicts were read in West Valley Superior Court.
Prosecutors accused Sinclair of driving a Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicle at speeds exceeding 80 mph with a blood-alcohol content of 0.11, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2006, her Hummer slammed into a Nissan Altima turning left in front of her at the intersection of Central Avenue and San Bernardino Street.
The two people in the Altima, 22-year-old Kara Rose Adella Maes of Chino and 23-year-old Sergio Lopez of Ontario, suffered massive injuries and died within minutes of the crash.
A data recorder recovered from the Hummer indicated the car was traveling 80 mph with its throttle open 100-percent in the moment before the crash. It also indicated Sinclair never applied her brake.
Sinclair faces a maximum prison sentence of about 15 years, said Deputy District Attorney Kent Williams. Sinclair is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 16.
The four felony convictions include two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury.
"We're just thankful that it came out the way it did because we wanted justice," said Kathy Gonzalez, Lopez's cousin. "So we thank God."
Williams said he felt Sinclair's potential maximum sentence was not lengthy enough.
"I think the sentencing exposure should allow for more time," he said. "It's still a tragedy all the way around."
The jurors reached their verdict Thursday afternoon after about five hours of deliberations over two days.
As the verdicts were read, family members of the victims began crying.
When Judge Michael Libutti asked Sinclair after the verdicts if she was willing to waive her right to a speedy sentencing hearing, she was crying and her response was inaudible. Libutti had to ask her to repeat herself.
Sinclair's former boyfriend, who fathered one of her three children, was killed by an intoxicated driver in 2003.
She purchased the Hummer with money she received from a wrongful-death settlement after he was killed.
God Bless all the families effected by drunk drivers.
Support the death penalty for drunk drivers.
Mad at MADD.
Drunk driving for life!
Funniest thing I've read in a while. Sounds like everyone involved was either hispanic or african. Not a big loss.
"God Bless all the families effected by drunk drivers."
Yes, because if you were fathered by a drunk driver, you're off to a bad start.
Spooner:
I think your comment was inappropriate. I do, however, agree with you.
John, Spooner, Jeremy, et al,
Thanks for commenting- it's idiots like you that make it a much quicker job of figuring out whether or not to check out a website further. If this site attracts morons like yourselves I need not waste my time with it.
D.A.M.M. Drunks Against Mad Mothers
Zippy you need to get drunk and go for a drive.
Van,
Sounds like an idea- while I do that why don't you take a long walk. Let me know when you're in a crosswalk . . .
*sigh*
Such hostility. How do you claim to be better than anyone else when you're immediately proving yourself to be at the very least as bad as, if not worse than those you accuse?
"God Bless all the families effected by drunk drivers."
"Effected." I do not think this means what you think it means.
effected should be affected
Didn't claim to be better than anyone. I just don't like mexicans or africans*.
(insert racial slurs rhyming with 'ticks' and 'diggers')
Spooner,
My apologies. I wasn't talking to you. I don't like'em either.
Spooner:
My god, man....you can rhyme!!! (Unfortunately you cannot think rationally. As we say in Kentucky - 'One out of two aint bad.')
spooner,
may you rot in hell along with sinclair till you too can learn a little compasion and remorse!
First, I don't agree with the death penalty; the justice system should be about justice and retribution, not revenge. But even if that wasn't the case being drunk equates to diminished responsibility. The question that comes to light is whether the person knew they shouldn't get drunk: they have to operate machinery, they have to tend to children or invalids, etc.
So screw off.
I apologize. I had no right to spew my opinion.
a friend lost:
I have alot of respect for someone who can admit when she's wrong.
Spooner:
What makes you think they were all ticks and diggers?
Yvonne Sinclair: Buys a Hummer with money from her dead baby-daddy settlement. Has to be black.
Sergio Lopez: Either hispanic or poorly-named.
Kara Rose Adella Maes: Just hoping, I guess.
I knew Kara and I'm really sad she's gone. And I can't believe you are making comments like this.
She purchased the Hummer with money she received from a wrongful-death settlement after he was killed.
Isnt that ironic.. Not sure that 15 years is enough though.
Spooner, is my name white enough for you? Perhaps I should marry my first cousin or my stepfather to prove my ethnicity, but then again it really isn't necessary to insult your ethnicity to prove that you're an idiot. You seem to have covered that pretty well on your own.
I realize that these are pretty big words for you but I hope you can follow along. I have known Kara's family since before she was born and the loss of her impacted everyone who knew her. She was a delightful young lady witn dreams for her future. In her short life she attended college, worked, bought her first car and loved her family. I'm guessing that your past and your future will not shine nearly has bright as Kara's did. It's unfortunate that you hate so easily and can write pure garbage and NOT understand for a minute how your stupidity may affect other people.
Maybe when you've lost someone special you'll realize how stupid and hateful your words were. Maybe one day you'll realize that hating is easy and that love takes courage, but then again, probably not. You aren't worthy of hate or pity, so you'll have none from me. I will rest easy knowing that what comes around, goes around and you will get yours.
well being on this side of the situation were i know yvonne, and i am with her ex husband going on 8 years now, and is helping him raise their two kids. you have to think about the kids. she did what she did, and got what she got. but her youngest daughter lost her father and now no longer has her mother. so talk all the shit you want but you have to feel for the kids. i'm not saying she was a saint but kids always need their parents. i do think everyone deserves to be forgiven. so maybe one day they will be able to forgive yvonne, and i have to add it wasnt right all that was said to her kids in the courtroom, they are not to blame. my heart goes out to everyone affected by this tragedy
WELL I HAVE KNOWN YVONNE SINCE BEFORE SHE BECAME SINCLAIR. AND FOR THE IDIOT "SPOONER" YVONNE IS NOT BLACK. I'M NOT SAYING WHAT SHE DID WAS NOT WRONG BUT YOU GUYS SIT THERE AND TALK SHIT AND JUDGE HER FOR ONE HORRIBLE MISTAKE SHE MADE. IF YOU KNEW HOW MUCH OF A WONDERFUL PERSON SHE IS YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, BUT THAT ONE TRAGIC MISTAKE FUCKS OFF ALL THE GOOD SHE HAS DONE IN THE PAST. IT IS SAD TO KNOW THAT MY FRIEND IS SITTING IN JAIL RIGHT NOW AND KNOWING HER KIDS DO NOT HAVE THEIR MOTHER. DON'T SIT HERE AND JUDGE MY FRIEND. SHE IS SUFFERING ENOUGH KNOWING SHE HAS TAKEN TWO LIVES AND HOW THIS HAS AND WILL ALWAYS AFFECT THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE TWO WHO WERE KILLED. SHE IS NOT PERFECT... BUT NEITHER ARE YOU.
My mom is not a murderer and she deserves to be set free! My mom is not a bad person and we are all sorry for your loss. Not only you guys are going through hard times, me and my family are going through hell because of this too. Im so sorry for your loss! Ive lost plenty of people that we're my family and even my closest friends! Its hard I know but I just wish you could forgive my mom and not have so much hate against her! Every single one of us have either hate for eachother or love for eachother! My mom does not deserve to be behind bars this long! The family of the two that died have a lot of hate against my mom and my family. Those hateful and nasty words you said to my mom and my family broke my heart so much when I was sitting there in the court room. How can you hate someone so much that you wish death upon them! Especially when you wish for that person and her family to rot in hell! That is so wrong of you all! Like people say things happen for a reason, most of the times it doesnt end up good just like this situation! But you have to think twice, think about me and my little brother and sister. We are all separated from eachother and I hate moving from place to place but I have to do it becausee my mother isnt here with me. I honestly wouldnt care if we were living on the streets! All I want is my mom back! I know how much it hurts to lose someone, no I did not only lose my step-dad, ive lost several people through out my life! None of our lives were perfect and they never will be because of this traggity! Dont thank God for putting my mom behind bars! Whats wrong with you people?! You guys have such a sweet heart towards everyone else but so much hate against my mom and our family! I do not wish nothing bad against any of you! I pray everyday that God will bless you and keep you safe everyday! I especially pray that my mom will be home very soon! I am Yvonne's oldest daughter, Im 14 and im going through HELL without my mom here! I really wish you guys would stop writting hateful and disgusting stuff about my mom and our family, oh and no we are not black we are mexican! May God bless you ALL!
To everyyonee... Dont judgee anyyonee by what theyy lookk likee or what yu'vee heard,Judgee them by what yu know nd if yu dont anything dont judgee them at all!
Yvonne Sinclair iss a beautiful personn♥Mayy God bee withh her nd her familyy at thesee hard timees!I'vee been thru muchh moree than anyy of thesee peoplee posting comments havee,nd juhss becausee yu dont know what wee feel doesnt meann yu can rub in what yu dont feel♥Everyyonee has their problemms,Somee biggerthan otherss but wee should all stickk together nd stop withh this wholee "Justicee" thing!If God lovees us all,Whyy cant wee lovee eachhotherr? Even thoughh I lovee Yvonne nd her familyy,I am truelyy sorryy to thosee who havee lost lovedd onees♥Deathh isnt an easyy thing to get overr nd it'll takee timee but yu will makee it thruu♥But juhss remember whilee yu aree realizing yu lost someeonee,Therees otherr peoplee that still dont believee theyy havee! Evenn thoughh yu will never get yur loved onees backk doesnt mean yu havee to takee other peoplees loved onees awayy♥
Sincerelyy,
Alexiss Bernicee Chavezz♥
p.s.Everyythingg will get betterr:)
Following my investigation, billions of persons all over the world get the mortgage loans from various banks. Thence, there's good possibilities to get a credit loan in any country.
I treat my future academic career really seriously and I buy custom essay, just because of this.
To compose the format thesis just about this good post was not effortless but you deal with that. If any single writer was like, we will never have any problems with the dissertation writing.
Are not willing to become a bad student? Are willing to confirm your reputation? To buy custom essay is a correct way to relize your dreams.
There are custom producing corporations , which operate just to get great gainings. It is, risky to buy essays from such kinds of organizations, just because they do not trouble about students' academic careers.
5 yrs .and still suffering , hope yvonne rot in hell cause she cause major damage to her integrity and threw it out the door when decide to drink and drive!! no respent for other throw the book at her