San Jose man sentenced to seven years in prison for drunk driving that killed two women
DUBLIN — A San Jose man has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for killing two women in a drunk-driving crash on Thanksgiving Day 2021, following a plea agreement that allowed him up to two years in prison depending on conduct, according to court records.
Under a plea agreement with Alameda County prosecutors, 28-year-old Robert Jacob Espinoza was given two options: stay out of custody and be on good behavior while awaiting formal sentencing and receive a sentence of seven years and four months, or face up to 11 years in prison for harassing police.
At his June 14 sentencing hearing, Judge Paul DeLucci found that Espinosa had kept his promise and gave him a lighter sentence, but before the trial ended, Espinosa heard from the families of the two women he killed.
“My wife and I never thought we'd lose one of our children,” Donald Pereira, whose daughter, Charlotte Pereira, was killed in the accident, told the court. “We not only grieve for ourselves, but also for our other children and two grandchildren who lost their mother… We are constantly reminded of our loss at every birthday, holiday and family gathering.”
Espinoza was charged with vehicular manslaughter and DUI in the deaths of Pereira and Ann Marie Carpaneto in 2022. Police say Espinoza crashed into a parked Volkswagen on Interstate 880 in Union City around 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day in 2021, also injuring three people in the Tesla.
Carpaneto's sister-in-law, Patricia Olivia Rodriguez, told Espinosa during the hearing that she sympathized with his family “going through hell” and that everyone wished he had made “better choices” and that the accident had not happened.
“Robert, I hope you regret it and understand the gravity of what you did to two families that have been changed forever,” Olivia Rodriguez said. “One day, when you have children, they may know the pain this has caused.”
Espinosa's lawyer told the court his client was “very remorseful” and hoped the sentence would bring some closure to those involved. Judge Delucchi said Espinosa's probation report also showed expressions of “remorse and regret”.
“So, I can impose a sentence, but I can't erase the feelings that Mr. Pereira and others have expressed,” Delucchi said, “so, God bless you, you're going to be battling those feelings, and I wish you the best of luck in that regard.”
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