Former LA County deputy sentenced for crash that killed young boy

LOS ANGELES - A now-former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for a high-speed, off-duty crash in South Gate that killed a 12-year-old boy.

Ricardo Castro, 30, pleaded no contest earlier this month to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the Nov. 3, 2021, crash that left Isaiah Suarez Rodriguez dead and injured the boy's older sister, along with Castro and his passenger.

As part of his plea agreement, Castro waived credit for the time he spent in county jail before being released, as well as the time he subsequently spent on house arrest or electronic monitoring. He also surrendered his Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Castro was originally charged in February 2023 with one count each of murder, vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving causing great bodily injury.

Castro was taken into custody at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing in downtown Los Angeles.

During the hearing, Castro apologized, calling the crash a "tragedy" and an "accident."

"It was never intended to happen," Castro said. "... I am truly remorseful for the loss of Isaiah."

Castro said he wanted to personally apologize to the boy's mother and sister, saying he has always strived to be a role model and steer clear from trouble.

"This accident has taken so much from so many people," he said.

Before handing down the sentence, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar called the case "a tragedy for both families."

"Mr. Castro will be required to pay dearly for his actions," Villar said.

At a news conference last year announcing the case, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said an investigation showed that the off- duty deputy may have been traveling at speeds nearing 95 mph in a 25 mph school zone as he approached the busy intersection of Firestone Boulevard and San Juan Avenue.

Gascón said Castro received rigorous training through his work as a sheriff's deputy and had significant personal and professional knowledge about the dangers of driving at an excessive speed.

"Mr. Castro's recklessness ended the life of a boy with an entire future ahead of him and destroyed a family," Gascón said at the time. "This tragedy was preventable and should have never happened."

Castro's driving history revealed that he has been involved in "multiple collisions" and received several traffic tickets, including for speeding, the district attorney said.

"Mr. Castro was also involved as a passenger in a fatal traffic collision just three months prior to this fatal collision," Gascón said.

South Gate Police Department Chief Darren Arakawa said at the February 2023 news conference that the boy was an "innocent child" who "didn't stand a chance in that crash."

Arakawa said the off-duty deputy was driving his Ford pickup truck at an "unsafe speed far beyond the speed limit" when he broadsided a Mercedes- Benz in which the boy was riding as his sister was negotiating a left turn.

"Despite the valiant efforts of L.A. County firefighters and medical staff at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Isaiah did not survive this horrific event," the police chief said.

"I want to emphasize that this was a preventable incident that was clearly in the hands of Mr. Castro, and that cannot be understated. At the time of the collision, the street was heavily populated with motorists and pedestrians and occurred during a time period while school children were still present."

In an emotional statement, the boy's mother said last year, "First of all, I want to say that I love my son. I love you, Isaiah, and I miss you every single day."

She said the boy -- who had decided three days earlier to be baptized - - was out that afternoon to get a ruler for a classmate whose ruler had been taken away while being bullied.

The victim's mother, Betsabe Suarez, said her family was "completely broken" by his loss, and said she was thankful that the crash was not brushed "under the rug."