A man suspected of DUI who collided with another vehicle near Kearny Mesa, killing four men in the other car, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in state prison.
Aleim Garcia Alavez, 25, of San Marcos, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for the July 19, 2024, crash, which occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on southbound state Route 163, near Interstate 805.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by Alavez rear-ended a Toyota Prius, causing it to veer out of control and crash, ejecting the four victims.
They were Faruk Cetin, 27, Mahsun Dursun, 23, Abdurrezak Hizmali, 27, and Baris Savas, 25.
Deputy District Attorney Spencer Sharpe said that along with driving under the influence, Alavez’s vehicle was going over 100 mph prior to impact.
The prosecutor said that after a good Samaritan pulled him from his overturned truck, Alavez was seen tossing alcohol containers over the edge of the freeway bridge.
“He tried to cover up evidence of a crime that took four lives,” Sharpe said.
The four victims were friends who hailed from Turkey. Some of the men’s family watched the sentencing hearing remotely, but none appeared in person at the downtown San Diego courthouse.
“If it weren’t for thousands of miles and an ocean, this courtroom would be full of people for the four men whose lives this defendant took,” Sharpe said.
Alavez faced a possible maximum penalty of 16 years in prison, but was sentenced Tuesday to the 12 years requested by the prosecution. His defense attorney, Kerry Armstrong, asked for an eight-year sentence due to his client’s youth, lack of criminal record and remorse.
“Every time I see Mr. Alavez in custody, he’s so hurt about what he’s done to these families. I can’t begin to tell you how remorseful he is,” Armstrong told Superior Court Judge Marian Gaston.
In a statement read in court, Alavez said he was “deeply sorry” and asked for forgiveness from the victims’ families.
“Even though what occurred the night of the crash was an accident, it does not justify my actions and it does not justify my wrongdoings,” he said.
Gaston said she believed Alavez’s remorse was genuine and said he was on a good path prior to the fatal crash. But the judge said that the vulnerability of the victims and the speed at which Alavez was traveling warranted the sentence sought by the prosecution.
“The loss of life obviously is just unspeakably sad, particularly because it didn’t have to happen,” Gaston said.
After the fatal crash, another motorist drove into the crash scene and struck one of the victims lying in the roadway. Authorities also arrested that driver who ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI count.
