Man sentenced to nearly eight years for double fatal crash in Escondido

ESCONDIDO — A man who was driving under the influence when he crashed into a vehicle at an Escondido intersection, killing two 19-year-olds in the other car, was sentenced this week to nearly eight years in state prison.

Francisco Andres Alvarez, 31, pleaded guilty to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury for the March 25, 2018, crash that killed Brandon Contreras and Ana Lira.

The victims were in a Mustang that was T-boned at the intersection of Ash Street and El Norte Parkway by Alvarez’s Dodge Charger at around 11:30 p.m.

Police say Alvarez ran a red light at El Norte and struck the Mustang, killing Contreras and Lira, as well as seriously injuring an underage boy who was riding in the victims’ vehicle.

Prosecutors said alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were in Alvarez’s system at the time of the crash.

Alvarez has been out of custody for the past four years. A judge ruled Wednesday that he could remain out of custody until an appeals process is completed before serving his seven-year, eight-month sentence.

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