Eric Mauricio Ramirez-Aguilar — the driver responsible for the fatal hit-and-run that killed Santa Barbara City College employee Adolfo Corral and his wife Mary Jane Becerra Corral — pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving while under the influence causing great bodily injury, and fleeing the scene of an accident that resulted in death.
The charges stem from the double vehicular manslaughter that occurred on February 9, 2020. On that date, Adolfo and Mary Jane, both 43 and parents of four, were out walking their dog on Cathedral Oaks Road. Ramirez-Aguilar, who was intoxicated at the time, swerved off the road while driving his Nissan sedan, struck and killed the couple, and subsequently fled the area on foot. Adolfo was pronounced dead on the scene, and Mary Jane was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Adolfo had just begun working as Santa Barbara City College’s Equity, Diversity, and Cultural Competency Coordinator, and had been involved in the Food Pantry, Umoja Program, and the center for Equity and Social Justice. Mary Jane worked as a computer specialist at La Patera Elementary School. A vigil held in honor of the couple on Santa Barbara City College’s West Campus last year drew hundreds of students, colleagues, friends, and family.
Sentencing is set for February 18, 2022. Based on his guilty pleas to all of the counts alleged, Ramirez-Aguilar faces a maximum of 17 years and 8 months in state prison.
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