The plea hearing for the man accused of killing a popular Eagle
Ridge gatehouse supervisor in an early-morning alcohol-related
traffic accident was delayed because his private defense attorney
was tied up in another trial.
The plea hearing for the man accused of killing a popular Eagle Ridge gatehouse supervisor in an early-morning alcohol-related traffic accident was delayed because his private defense attorney was tied up in another trial.
According to police reports, Julian Navarro Murillo, 25, drove home early the morning of Sept. 16 after a sleepless night with a blood-alcohol level well above the legal limit. Traveling north on Santa Teresa Boulevard, he attempted to make an unsafe left turn onto Day Road directly into the path of Lourdes Sanchez’s oncoming car, police said.
Sanchez was traveling southbound on Santa Teresa on her way to her job as a guard at Eagle Ridge, police said. The two vehicles collided head on. Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene and Murillo was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence – both felonies.
Murillo’s blood-alcohol measured 0.22 percent following the crash, a toxicology report revealed.
Deputy District Attorney Patty Henley amended the original charges of driving under the influence with a special allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and vehicular manslaughter to include a third charge, which alleged that Murillo was driving while over the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent.
“Not only was he driving under the influence, he was driving over the legal limit,” Henley said.
His bail was set at $75,000. He is currently in custody.
Murillo’s plea hearing was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in Department 92 at the South County Courthouse.
