Santa Maria Man Pleads Guilty to Murder and Driving Under Influence
Javier Artemio Cortes Sideswept Vehicle at More than 100 MPH, Killing Two and Injuring Two More
The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that Javier Artemio Cortes — the Santa Maria man who ran through a red light at more than 100 miles per hour in March 2019 and plowed into a vehicle, killing two young women and injuring two more — pleaded guilty to murder and driving under the influence and now faces 21 years to life in prison.
According to District Attorney Joyce Dudley, Cortes drank alcohol at a party on the night of the incident before getting behind the wheel.
“By all appearances, he had too much to drink, and in spite of being offered a place to stay for the night, he decided to drive home under the influence of alcohol,” Dudley said in a statement released Wednesday.
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